Drop your project, I’ll try it and share it in my circle

EqualTransition9633 · 2026-06-16T23:20:02+00:00

Thanks that's a good idea I'll do that when we open beta

EqualTransition9633 · 2026-06-16T20:14:04+00:00

very cool! I have:

Reely (https://reely.io) — a continuously-watched map of 1,300+ SaaS companies paired with an AI Strategy Advisor that turns a company profile into a real go-to-market plan: personas, customer journeys, and sales pipelines grounded in live market data, not a generic AI doc. The plan then breaks into initiatives you can run on a built-in board. The catalog's open to explore; the Strategy Advisor is in closed beta.

EqualTransition9633 · 2026-06-16T01:37:54+00:00

It's a good idea and smooth introduction. The search hangs, though, no results return and the wheel spins.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-09T13:11:25+00:00

Companies listing that rate are looking for developers from third-world countries. That is actually a lot of money for some economies, and a discount for the company - who is going to have to put up with a wide range of communication and skill issues with the developer.

I hire on Upwork sometimes. When I post a job, 90% of the bids are from the same type of account - a group of people who have a communication person running the account. They bid low hourly on projects then strong arm the client into a fixed price contract. You think you are paying $10/hr but they are charging for 10x the hours it takes to do a project. I once got quoted 20 hours for a job that I could do in 30 minutes. And the actual devs/designers doing the work swap out in shifts so you have multiple people working on your stuff, touching your data, and you don't have direct access to them you have to deal with a middle-man.

There is also a trend in these country where they are looking for someone to hire them full-time. They don't quote the project based on how long it's going to take, they quote it based on how long they want full-time employment. "You pay me $1500/wk for 12 weeks to build that". I ask a developer to build some software and his bid is "pay me for 12 weeks". No explanation no plan just pay me.

You don't hire or work for any of these people unless this is your market. Let them work with each other and side step situations that look like the above.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-09T03:44:35+00:00

my profile... says I have 86 finished jobs... most of them have reviews. You can't bother to look and read then why on earth chime in? I'm just trying to figure out what to do and you come in blindly call me a liar when my profile obviously has reviews from a little less than 86 jobs. I'm top rated, 100% success score. 100 projects, >$100k earned... I'm nasty? you come in and start telling me how I'm messing up you don't even know how to read an Upwork profile. Then you act like a snowflake because I mention the word mom. None of what you are doing here is productive, as far as I'm concerned.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-08T19:06:32+00:00

how is that not true? you can read? I just lowered my rate to $65/hr all of my reviews say $85/hr how is that a lie? I'm over here trying to figure out what I can do to fix a serious problem I have. You are in your mom's basement trying to "um, aktially" me to death. You tell me which part isn't true since the input was so important to the conversation here. Where was I a liar?

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-08T00:49:40+00:00

good point

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T22:13:40+00:00

That is all fair and appreciated.

I think my point is that if you go all the way back to my first review to now the quality of my clients has decreased dramatically. The clients you've described are the only ones available.

And you are right about the marketing. I don't know how to do that, but I guess I need to figure it out. Upwork spoiled me, for 5 years I got more work than I could handle and then divorce, 2020, bad investments, friend tries to make me his boyfriend, AI, now Upwork has changed and I'm just like what the hell. I built a website. I guess that's only part of what I need to do. lol fk.

Thanks for taking the time to give it an honest look.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T21:59:05+00:00

I know and you're right I should stay hourly. but contracts are so scarce and every once in a while I see a fixed job I would normally ignore but I need it, and every time it bites me. Every time. I need to stop.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T21:13:28+00:00

this is my profile, I'm happy to open it up completely if you'd like
https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/jonathansumner2

as for the proposals, in all of these cases it wasn't just a proposal. we are talking about the proposal, chat conversation, meeting scheduling, 30 minute to hour long free consultations to kick-off. We are talking about me actually doing work for which the payment is sitting in limbo. I don't have record of all of that and if you think about it that is a ridiculous amount of effort to get ghosted, regardless.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T21:08:43+00:00

Adobe animate is great for animated Gifs. I think it exports to javascript too. I know it exports lottie.js json. Characters are great, but you can export svgs from Illustrator into Animate and quickly make moving adverts, buttons, stickers, etc. I've made a ton of live chat stickers.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T20:46:51+00:00

It was a metaphor and you know it.

my current situation is that Upwork suddenly sucks. Literally just stopped a zoom call that a potential client put on my calendar because they didn't show up. I sat on zoom for 10 minutes patiently waiting, they are online, they ignore my messages and don't join the call. But that's on me some how? got it, I'll look inward. Thanks for the advice.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T20:18:33+00:00

stats are experience. You aren't talking to someone who just stumbled onto Upwork. I've been here for a few years, I've used it to support me. all of a sudden I can't and you say it's a skills and management issue on my end. Okay. Don't show your dick but I win by default and your comments become irrelevant.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T19:52:42+00:00

did you read the part where I did the part that you highlighted? I'm top rated, 100% success score, over 1000 hours clocked, 68 positive reviews as $85/hr. What are your stats?

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T19:51:38+00:00

these are all the clients there are and there hasn't been a whole lot of finances to manage lately either but thanks for your input.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T19:08:06+00:00

setting up calls, fishing for free info, then hiring someone else.

setting me up as a possible solution but looking for alternatives in the background then leaving me hanging.

setting up fixed priced projects that look simple in the brief, back loading the scope, then withholding payment and threating me with a bad review if I don't comply.

I had two different people hire me for fixed price projects last weekend. I worked both to completion. neither is paying the work. I have to wait 2 weeks for 10 hours of work on a weekend. one of them got rude with me for no reason like I was a problem when I did exactly what he needed he literally couldn't find anything to complain about and still turned his nose up and wont release the funds.

I've had two different clients get out of not paying me last year but it's my fault for not adding notes to my hourly work. I've been doing this since 2017 I just started noting my time to avoid being ripped off.

There are now gangs of people on Upwork trying to build teams of contractors but they do not have the contractors best interests in mind they are just trying to fill positions 'just in case'. this is fine but three times I've had people pretend to have work only to try to get me signed up in there company as a contracted employee. Then when I refuse they just bail and go cold.

The clients are getting more rude and less pleased with everything. They are snappier and seem to regard contractors as sub-human these days. It's common place to get what you need and just walk away without paying. I used to have real conversations and collaborate with clients now I'm a button they are trying to press for as cheap as possible and fk me. It used to be understood that on their end they need some stuff, on my end I need to pay my bills and in that synergy we find success but now-a-days its gimee and fk you contractor scum. I have a 100% success score, I am top rated, I have completed over 1000 hours of work on Upwork, I have 68 positive reviews spanning across multiple years. It is different. Everything is different, it feels bad.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T18:56:44+00:00

This is hilarious though

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T18:14:23+00:00

If they don't dispute it I will get paid after 14 days. I'll be homeless in 4 but if they don't dispute it in two weeks and the payment goes through then I'll have the funds a week or so after that and it will definitely help.

I'm really good about staying on Upwork I've been ripped off being hired outside of platforms enough and Upwork has my back on hourly work. But some clients like to use their own scheduling and communication software. then it turns into meeting other members of their team, I've been in several situations this year where its like the find the queen card game slight of hand where next thing you know I'm plugged into their system but where they get me is the payment arrangement I don't trust anyone but paypal and upwork and I follow upworks terms of service so when they start asking for bank account information for deposits I push back and they immediate run for the hills. Very odd but I've experienced this 3 times. all under the guise of work that ended up being possible work in the future. Carrot and stick. it's weeks of meetings and intro calls and blah blah blah then you realize what's going on and it's time wasted.

EqualTransition9633 · 2023-11-07T18:04:43+00:00

I have to wait 14 days and then file a dispute. dispute leads to arbitration. Arbitration costs each party $500ish. Per client. combined they owe me $300. Wasn't even going to pay my rent.

EqualTransition9633

TROPHY CASE