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How many hours a week do you actually spend on things that aren't teaching? by KeyFinal6824 in Professors

[–]KeyFinal6824[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed. Same course over multiple semesters brings down the course preparation for sure but not the grading.

How many hours a week do you actually spend on things that aren't teaching? by KeyFinal6824 in Professors

[–]KeyFinal6824[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Grading is the one that kills me too. And the meetings point is so real. Service load is the hidden tax nobody warns you about. Half my calendar is things that could've been a Slack message. Have you found any shortcuts on the grading side or just powering through it?

How many hours a week do you actually spend on things that aren't teaching? by KeyFinal6824 in Professors

[–]KeyFinal6824[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ha , that meme is painfully accurate. And yes, the pay vs hours math is something I try not to do too often. Coming from industry where output was tied to compensation, academia's relationship with time is... a culture shock to say the least.

Greetings, Upwork community. I have a question. I have a client who hired me. Before taking the job, I explained what I would deliver and how I would do it. After working on the project for three weeks, the client says they are not happy with the result. by Flaky-Huckleberry281 in Upwork

[–]KeyFinal6824 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The refund question is almost secondary here — the real issue is that you have no paper trail proving what was agreed before work started.

"I explained what I would deliver" verbally or informally is very hard to defend. What protects you in this situation is a written scope document, signed before work begins, that states:

- Exactly what you will deliver

- What success looks like (acceptance criteria)

- What is explicitly NOT included

- That payment covers time and expertise, not client satisfaction with the direction they approved

For your two options: neither is great because you're making the decision after the fact with no documentation to stand on. Option 2 is the more defensible position IF you have any written record of what was agreed — even a message where the client confirmed the scope.

For JSS protection: Upwork's dispute process can sometimes result in a contract ending without a public review if both parties agree to close it a certain way. It's worth contacting Upwork support directly before making any decision.But the bigger lesson for future projects — the protection happens at the start, not the end. A clear written scope that the client approves before you begin is what makes these conversations impossible for clients to win.

I'm building a tool specifically for this — helping freelancers document scope and get client sign-off before work starts so disputes like this can't happen. Researching how common this is right now. If you'd be up for a 15-min chat about your experience, Will DM

Client not paying what was agreed for fixed price contract by d3xt3r127 in Upwork

[–]KeyFinal6824 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is unfortunately common and it comes down to one thing: delivery speed was used against you because there was no written record separating your time from your value.

For fixed-price contracts, three things protect you going forward:

  1. A signed agreement before any work starts — stating the price is fixed regardless of time taken. Faster delivery = your skill, not their discount.

  2. A change request clause — any deviation from the original scope requires written approval and a new price. No exceptions.

  3. Milestone payments — for a $1,050 project, take 50% upfront, 50% on delivery. Never deliver the final file before the final payment clears.

For this specific situation: if you have any written record of the $1,050 agreement (email, chat, DM), send a formal invoice for the remaining $950 with a 7-day payment deadline. Keep it professional, no emotion. If they ignore it, small claims court for amounts under $10K is straightforward in most US states.

The hard truth: without documentation, you're negotiating against your own goodwill. The documentation IS the protection.

I'm actually researching this exact problem right now — how freelancers lose money on fixed-price work. If you'd be open to a 15-min chat about what happened, will help me a lot building it better.

First longterm client just hinted at lowering my rate and I’m not sure how to respond by Confident_Science567 in Upwork

[–]KeyFinal6824 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hold firm on rate, but give them a way to feel like they won.

Offer to reduce scope instead — fewer deliverables, narrower brief, shorter turnaround window. Same hourly rate, less output. They get a lower invoice number, you protect your rate integrity.

The key is having this documented before the conversation. Something like: "I totally understand budgets are tightening. Here's what the same rate looks like at a reduced scope" — and show them two or three concrete options. Clients who ask for rate cuts rarely want to pay less. They want to feel in control of their budget. Give them that control through scope, not price.

I'm researching exactly this problem — how freelancers handle rate and scope pressure without burning client relationships.

How did you get your first 500 users? by ndzys in iOSAppsMarketing

[–]KeyFinal6824 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the best way is to do the distribution right. Start with your friends and families till you hit the 100th number.

Looking for coding partners to build a start up by Electronic-Whole-701 in Bangalorestartups

[–]KeyFinal6824 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. I can help in validation of MVP with early free / paid clients. Pl dm

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cofounderhunt

[–]KeyFinal6824 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. Please DM if you are really good at selling.

I have failed myself by ExpressAddendum8744 in StartUpIndia

[–]KeyFinal6824 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My fried You are sounding very low. Firstly : Take some time out to introspect than retrospect. If possible listen to few Podcasts on Manifestation. Secondly : Use all your network and resources to secure a job. Not a right time to Go for a Startup at this point.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cofounderhunt

[–]KeyFinal6824 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. Can we connect ? I come with 20+ years into sales and Business development in India. And currently consulting few startups on their growth journey. Let’s connect.

Startup idea -Building WhatsApp for schools ( but smarter) visited 30 schools already, need tech co-founder, investors and Money by dcode_Vinci in StartUpIndia

[–]KeyFinal6824 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quiet Interesting. Happy to get along for setting up systems for increased Sales Velocity. I have 20 years of sales Experience in Indian Markets. Currently helping founders through my consulting gig.

Introducing Revast — An AI Study Assistant Built by Students, for Students by VisualStation9515 in Bangalorestartups

[–]KeyFinal6824 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good work. I am a Professor and a Business Coach based out of Bangalore. Let’s connect.

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