Germain Fardoux won the trophy for best developer at the first edition of the Codeur Awards which took place in January 2024.
Self-taught in website development and specialized in WordPress, he now answers Codeur.com's questions to look back on his journey and his experiences on the platform.
Codeur.com: Hello Germain, could you introduce yourself and tell us about your professional background?
Germain Fardoux : I am a freelancer, completely independent for almost 15 years, 12 of them as a micro-entrepreneur. But I started with the web and website development long before that — even before there were schools, at the very beginning of "site du zéro"; I'm not even sure Codeur.com already existed (laughs).
Coding became a passion: aligning words, letters and symbols to create web pages felt amazing. It was the AOL era, even before ADSL. It drove my parents crazy because I would tie up the phone line!
I was lucky to become passionate about it. I started creating small sites for myself, then building them for other people. At first, for free, because I couldn't imagine it could be sold. Back then, nobody talked about selling websites. Eventually I realized it took time, that people and businesses were interested, and that it had value. I began selling them cheaply, then gradually raised my prices until I could make a living from it.
Codeur.com: How did your journey on Codeur.com begin?
Germain F: One day I came across an ad on Leboncoin to carry out a mission. It was a freelancer on Codeur.com, Yann Dubois, whom I greet here because he's something of a mentor to me. He taught me everything there is to know about WordPress. We hit it off and he was the one who introduced me to the platform and helped me get started on Codeur.com!
I started testing the platform, finding clients by responding to calls for tenders and working on real projects. That's when I really launched on my own and it has never stopped since.
Codeur.com: What did you like about the platform?
Germain F.: Since I have a commercial streak, I enjoy talking and negotiating, I immediately clicked with it because it allowed me to combine that with my passion for the web and coding. It's important to be able to stand out and succeed when you respond to a job posting and compete with other providers. Today, 80% of my clients come from Codeur.com and the rest from the network I've built over all these years.
Codeur.com: Do you remember your first projects on the platform?
Germain F.: No, it was a long time ago and there have been far too many since. However, I clearly remember one big project I landed thanks to Codeur.com!
It was a website for a company based in Brazil, created by French people. That led me to travel there. I lived in Brazil for five months because the company "poached" me from my freelance activity to work full-time for them. It was an incredible adventure to go to Brazil thanks to Codeur.com! It was something special, so I'll always remember that project!
Codeur.com: Do your activities on Codeur.com bring you opportunities beyond the jobs you win?
Germain F.: Yes, of course! I have already worked with the agency Younicom, also present on Codeur.com and based in Liévin. Since I'm from the North as well, we had the chance to work together on a project they subcontracted. It was last year and everything went very well. We created a great platform with a 3D simulator for a large company.
So yes, occasionally you call on other providers on Codeur.com. For example, I myself needed a provider for the 3D part and I found one on the platform (Cédric), who handled the 3D work that I connected to a WordPress to complete this project for Younicom.
That's a strength of Codeur.com, because we can help each other; you always find someone who does what you don't do, since it's hard in this job to cover all technical aspects of a project. Clients want more and more features, which is normal, so you have to be able to adapt.
Codeur.com: Now let's go back to your nomination for the Codeur Awards 2024. How did you find out about it?
Germain F.: I found out when I received the email announcing my nomination. I was initially surprised, because when I see the number of providers registered on Codeur.com, being named among the 200 selected out of more than 250,000 providers is really gratifying. It was already a great satisfaction, especially since it was the first time Codeur.com had organized this, so we didn't expect it! It was a nice surprise.
Codeur.com: Indeed, we wanted to launch this first edition without announcing it to surprise the providers and reward them for their work! But for you, the nomination was only the first step. Then came the victory! By the way, you were present on the YouTube live for the announcement.
Germain F.: Yes, I still get a bit of a thrill thinking about it. Actually, I joined the live late. It had started a few minutes earlier and I arrived exactly when they were talking about the "Best Developer" category. I told myself it was impossible to win, but I might be among the finalists. But the more names were read, the less I believed it, and when I saw my logo first, I thought, "This is unlikely." I took a screenshot and realized, "Yeah, it's actually true." I was ultra surprised, really ultra surprised!
Codeur.com: Pleasantly surprised nonetheless?
Germain F.: Oh yes, completely!
Codeur.com: Did you publicize your win?
Germain F.: Actually, I don't talk much about my work because thanks to Codeur.com I get enough requests and projects. I did post on my personal social networks that I had been nominated. I don't have a professional page apart from LinkedIn, where I rarely post. But it's because of you: there are so many projects every day and so many opportunities that I really don't need to do more.
I also shared my win on my personal Instagram and Facebook, and that allowed me to land two freelance gigs from contacts who had needs, which I subcontracted because my schedule was full.
I think it will add a little extra, that's for sure. I'm going to update my website to mention my win; it always reassures clients. I also mention it in my applications now.
But above all, it's real recognition. Since I'm self-taught, I didn't go through any school. This award is a kind of validation of my skills. It really boosted my motivation and my confidence.
Being nominated in a second category as well (4th best provider) is a double reward.
Codeur.com: Is the next edition of the Codeur Awards a goal for you?
Germain F.: Ah that isn't up to me to decide (laughs). We'll see! I stay active on Codeur.com, I'll keep doing the same and we'll see what happens. I don't know if I'll be nominated again or if I can win another trophy. But being nominated would already be a great achievement. And then, why not, a top 3, a win… I'll keep working the same way to satisfy my clients.
Codeur.com: Do you have any advice for self-taught entrepreneurs like you who want to get started, whatever their field?
Germain F.: As in any business, whether you're a developer, naturopath, chef, whatever... When you want to start as an entrepreneur, you must not give up; go all the way. And even once you're well established and things are going well, you must continue to keep pushing.
My primary satisfaction is my clients' satisfaction. Beyond revenue, it's really client satisfaction that makes people talk about me and come back to work with me. That's the foundation.
Codeur.com: A word for project owners who might want to work with you? What types of projects are you available for?
Germain F.: I don't have a preferred type of project; I can both build showcase websites in a few days or a large e-commerce site over several weeks. I adapt to my clients' needs, but I always make sure to carefully choose the projects I take on to be sure I can deliver a site that meets their expectations—I filter a lot.
In fact, I take pleasure in bringing people's projects to life. For many, it's somewhat a once-in-a-lifetime project. People go freelance, start businesses, and sometimes invest their savings in their site. That's why it's important to me to do it as well as possible, to be meticulous about details, and to be a perfectionist.
I also try to be proactive with suggestions, because clients don't always know what they want or what is possible. Providing them with my expertise and advice to help them realize their project is what motivates me most.
I delivered a site just a few days ago where the client was extremely satisfied. She only received positive feedback about her site, it works well, and she's already starting to take orders. That's a real source of satisfaction.
Would you like to work with Germain?
If you wish create a website with Germain, you can post your project from his profile on Codeur.com so he will be notified and can respond to your offer.
Whatever your project, you'll be sure to find a provider on Codeur.com!
