From Bartender to Dev (Who Also Raps): Artyom’s Path to Freedom
He started behind a bar.
Then became a project manager.
Then taught himself to code.
Now he runs his own dev studio, freelancers for major clients, and still finds time to drop rap tracks on weekends.
Meet Artyom — a developer who’s proof that you can hustle hard without losing your head.
Then became a project manager.
Then taught himself to code.
Now he runs his own dev studio, freelancers for major clients, and still finds time to drop rap tracks on weekends.
Meet Artyom — a developer who’s proof that you can hustle hard without losing your head.
🧩 PART 1 — From Bar Counter to Code Editor
Q: For people meeting you for the first time—what do you actually do?
A: I started as a project manager seven years ago, then learned to code about five and a half years ago. I wanted to be the PM who gets it — understands tech, estimates correctly, writes decent specs. Turned out I loved coding more than managing.
At my old company — a music label — they cut the entire IT team but kept me because I could handle both. That was my pivot point.
Q: How did you even become a project manager?
A: I was a bartender. Our bar delivered food to nearby offices, and one of them was a music label. I mentioned I’d done a few cheap tech gigs — they said, “Wait, we need that.” I might’ve oversold myself a bit (fake it till you make it). They hired me. I delivered. Boom — new career.
Q: First freelance clients — how did you find them?
A: Easy. I met tons of people at the bar. Someone always needed something built. I offered to do it cheap. That’s it. Social connections and saying yes.
Q: If you were starting now, in this crowded market, what would you do?
A: I’d go where junior devs can still get in — government, education, utilities. They care about diplomas, not GitHub stars. Work there a year, gain real experience, then move up.
Q: You also make music?
A: Yeah, rap. I still record. I used to work at a label, so I know how to produce and distribute properly. I don’t chase trends. If it’s bad, I don’t release it. If it ever makes enough to live on, I’ll quit coding.
Q: Biggest fail and biggest win?
A:
- Fail: got scammed for $30k by a shady client. Lesson: contracts + deposits.
- Win: built Forex trading bots that printed 20–30%/month for two years. Then the 2016 U.S. elections wrecked the market, partners lost $1M, and it all imploded. Brutal, but educational.
Q: What drives you now?
A: Freedom. I want to work now so later I don’t have to. Family safe. Bills paid. Maslow’s pyramid cleared. That’s the mission.
⚙️ PART 2 — Process, Focus & Clients
Q: Your work cadence?
A: Six hours a day, max. Three in the morning, three in the evening.That’s my flow. I used to do twelve and nearly lost my sanity. My first real vacation in six years was this summer.
Design your “6-hour day”:
- 3h deep work
- Break
- 3h ship + review
- If a task survives two sessions, cut or clarify.
Q: You mentioned burnout — how bad did it get?
A: Bad. No sleep, no appetite, no joy. Ended up on medication for 18 months. Lesson: ignoring burnout doesn’t make you tough, just slower.
Q: Where do you work best?
A: I have a full-time office job with almost no workload — about 2 hours/week of real tasks. So it’s like a paid coworking space for my own stuff. Perfect setup.
Q: Your workflow or tools?
A: Keep it simple: HustleApp. No over-engineering. I break projects into sub-tasks and knock them down. That’s it.
Q: Do you listen to music while coding?
A: Prefer silence. If it’s loud, I put on podcasts. Sometimes I realize I’ve been coding to acid techno for 3 hours. That’s life.
Q: How do you protect yourself as a freelancer?
A: Contracts. Deposits. Kill clauses. If payment’s late → pause the work. Always.
Freelance Safety Kit:
- 30–50% upfront.
- Clear acceptance criteria.
- One communication channel.
- 48-hour pause rule for missed payments.
Q: How do you price big clients?
A: Enterprises expect to pay more — they need security, uptime, compliance. If you quote too low, they won’t trust you.
Q: How do you decide who gets “premium pricing”?
A: Easy. If it’s a big company, I add the “big company tax.” They expect top service and have budgets. A small startup gets one price. BigTech or state-level org? Multiply it.
Q: Ethics and red flags?
A: No drugs, weapons, scams. And if a client asks me to violate privacy policies, I walk. No exceptions.
Q: Weirdest project request?
A: Someone once said, “I want to build a porn site like YouTube.”
Q: What motivates you — money, craft, or impact?
A: Money first, I’ll be honest. But also — the feeling when I see a payment log. Like, “someone just paid for what I built.” That notification is pure dopamine.
💰 PART 3 — Money, Energy & Freedom Mode
Q: What does freedom mean to you now?
A: Working now so I can stop working later. Not to be lazy — to be free.
Q: What brings you joy outside work?
A: Doing nothing. I game a lot — Final Fantasy XIV, Battlefield. Used to lift weights, got sick, paused gym life. Now gaming is therapy. Stop glorifying “active rest.”
Q: Digital detox?
A: Nope. I do human detox. I tell my wife, “I need silence,” open YouTube, and vanish for a few hours. Works better than any yoga app.
Q: Dream location?
A: Cyprus. House by the sea. Laptop, lemonade, peace. I lived in Georgia — loved it. Big cities drain me. I want Wi-Fi and waves.
Q: Money system — how do you handle cash flow?
A: I save $2000/month minimum. Live on $3.5-4k.
Rule: Save first, then spend.
6-month cushion = peace.
12-month cushion = creative freedom.
6-month cushion = peace.
12-month cushion = creative freedom.
Q: Thoughts on 14-hour-a-day grind culture?
A: Tried it. Dumb. You either burn out or break something you love. Work smart, rest harder.
Q: Next for you?
A: Grow my consulting studio, rebuild trading bots smarter, maybe drop a rap album.
Q: One rule for freelancers?
A: Never trade peace for pennies. If a project costs your sleep, it’s already too expensive.
🧭 TAKEAWAY
Artyom’s story is about balance — finding the sweet spot between ambition and peace. He built a career by saying yes early, then learned the power of saying no later. Now he codes, earns, rests, and occasionally rhymes.
You don’t need 14-hour days. You need clarity, contracts, and caffeine.
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