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Ask HN: What tools do you use to manage your freelance projects?

17 points gashmol | 2 comments | 20 Oct 24 13:17 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source

I've used several tools over the years but no one fits my needs well enough. I wonder if I miss some magic tool. Which tool work best for a single person operation?
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sandreas ◴[20 Oct 24 21:10 UTC] No.41898501[source]▶
I wrote a tool based on my own custom markdown format / file structure. The file is always called `project.md` and part of the project as well as my personal invoice generator git repository, which is basically a parser + pdf generator.

The md file contains customer information, todos and time tracking. Based on this format I can generate an invoice with a detailed table of every task including the time required. And it even looks pretty good in the markdown view.

It can be edited in any IDE / text editor and even in the online editor of the git management.

Works pretty well so far. An example:

  # Customer
  ```
  Company Name
  Magic Avenue 12
  Zip-Code City
  Project name with short description
  30 day terms
  ```

  # Todo
  - [x] create project
  - [x] init git
  - [x] add build scripts
  - [x] draw UI concept
    - [x] Home
    - [x] Settings
    - [ ] Choose icons
  - [ ] Build prototype
    - [ ] Choose UI framework
    - [ ] ...
  
  # Time tracking
  
  2022-04-26
  - 17.42-18.02 project creation and git initialisation
  
  2022-04-28
  - 11.55-13.23 basic project setup and build scripts
  
  2022-04-29
  - 16.47-17.08 new UI concept (drawing and design, HomeView)
  - 17.20-17.42 new UI concept (drawing and design, SettingsView)
replies(1): >>41901634 #
1. gashmol ◴[21 Oct 24 07:37 UTC] No.41901634[source]▶
How do you handle deadlines and setbacks?
replies(1): >>41902866 #
2. sandreas ◴[21 Oct 24 11:07 UTC] No.41902866[source]▶
For deadlines i use a week based paper calendar and setback can be handled by negative time entries, like:

  01.15-00.00 refund for issue 6789 (75mins)
It's not ideal but it barely happens.

Another minor issue is that my parser currently does not support overnight shifts like

  2022-11-15
  - 23.45-01.18 another task
These have to be divided into 2 separate ones:

  2022-11-15
  - 23.45-23.59 another task
  
  2022-11-16
  - 00.00-01.18 another task