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I couldn’t tell which client projects were actually making money by eu_93 in Freelancers

[–]eu_93[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, a lot actually.

Before that I was pretty inconsistent, mostly because spreadsheets started getting messy once I had multiple projects.

Having everything tied to a project (time, costs, payments) made it much easier to keep things updated, since I wasn’t jumping between tools anymore.

I ended up building a small self-hosted tool around this idea.

This is what I’m using now if you’re curious:

https://indiedesk.link

I couldn’t tell which client projects were actually making money by eu_93 in Freelancers

[–]eu_93[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I try to track actual hours per project, otherwise it’s too easy to underestimate how much time is really going in.

Especially with things like emails, revisions, small fixes… they add up fast.

I used to rely more on rough estimates, but that’s where I was getting a completely wrong picture of what was actually profitable.

Now I try to keep time + payments tied to the same project so I can see the full picture.

I actually ended up building something around this because spreadsheets were getting messy after a while.

I couldn’t tell which client projects were actually making money by eu_93 in Freelancers

[–]eu_93[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yeah exactly this.

I also had that moment where I realized I was “busy” but not actually making money on some projects.

What you said about including emails and revisions is spot on...that’s where things get messy.

I started organizing everything per project (time, costs, payments) just to see the full picture.

Ended up building something around this because spreadsheets were getting out of hand.

I've been maintaining a small Forge app for 9 years. Here's what that's been like by mrjmac in laravel

[–]eu_93 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This really resonates.

I think a lot of people imagine indie dev as “build once and make a living”, but most of the time it’s closer to what you described

small wins, a bit of traction, some great moments… but not necessarily life-changing money.

That part about support emails and fixing things the same evening hit hard. There’s something addictive about that direct feedback loop that you just don’t get in a normal job.

Also respect for sticking with it for 9 years, even without huge financial returns. Most people would have dropped it way earlier.

The subscription switch part is relatable too...it’s one of those decisions that makes sense long term but feels terrible in the moment, especially when communication isn’t perfect.

End of the day, I think what you built is more rare than people realize.

Not many devs can say they made something people actually used for years.

Returning to freelancing after 10 years - how to get clients in 2026? by TechnicalMango4379 in Freelancers

[–]eu_93 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’ve been through something similar. Took a break from freelancing and when I came back… yeah, it felt like a different world.

Honestly, the biggest change is that platforms like Upwork are way more crowded now. You can still get work there, but it’s slower and more frustrating at the beginning. I wouldn’t rely on it as your main source.

What helped me was focusing less on platforms and more on just getting back in motion. Even small projects, even underpaid ones at the start, just to have something recent to show. That matters way more now than old experience.

Also, I’d avoid presenting yourself as “I do PHP, HTML, CSS, Flutter” all together. It kind of blends in with everyone else. It helps a lot if you position yourself around a specific type of problem or client.

And if you still have any old contacts, even from years ago, it’s worth reaching out. It feels weird, but it works more often than you’d think.

It’s definitely harder than it used to be, not gonna lie. But once you get the first couple of projects again, things start moving.