I know many would say I didn't manage my finances properly, but at the start I was fresh out of college with no marketable skills and at the end I was a competent developer. Importantly I was so frugal I lived under the poverty level the entire time.

I went into consulting, and worked for a client that despite promises always managed to maneuver into only paying subsistence wages.

I got more jobs, but only from more unreasonable clients, and I made the rookie mistake of charging a flat rate for projects. The scope always expands with these clients.

I got smarter and changed the structure of my business after watching this video called F*ck you Pay Me: http://vimeo.com/22053820

It has been working, the response I get from clients is much better, but I still have not been able to break into the $100+ hour market.

I thought I had found the job that would allow me to break out from this cycle of desperation around rent due dates, pay off the debt I accrued with my startup etc... And start running a serious and professional consultancy.

I did a phone interview, and they were excited and I went in to speak to four people, and at that meeting they said they were ready to go and that we could get started right away.

And then nothing. No response to email. Nothing. I feel sort of crushed by the flakiness. I know I am only one good client away from all of this changing, but it feels right now like it's never going to happen.

I was wondering if other developers have had similar experiences. I'm competent at what I do, it gets better, right?