Ask HN: tips for starting as a freelance coder

I would strongly recommend building a side project while you work on finding your jobs. Clients are impressed when they see what you can actually do rather than just what you say you can do. Not to mention a side project would not have the constraints of a client, so you can make it really awesome (i.e. no "we need to use teal, its our company color"). Another plus is multiple side projects in different languages, so it shows you have wicked programming smarts and can pick up new skills if needed.

The best place to start as a freelancer is by working for your old company as a freelancer or for your old company's clients.