Building a freelancing playbook for web developers — would love your feedback
I've been working on a project for the past few weeks and thought this community would be a good place to get honest feedback.
I'm writing a practical freelancing guide specifically for web developers—whether you build with traditional code, WordPress, or AI coding tools.
The problem I'm trying to solve is simple:
Most developers know how to build websites.
Very few know how to consistently get clients.
As I started writing, I realized most freelancing advice falls into one of two categories:
Very generic business advice.
Success stories without a practical system someone can actually follow.
So I'm trying to build something different—focused on things like:
Positioning yourself
Finding clients
Pricing projects
Discovery calls
Proposals & contracts
Delivering professionally
Building repeat business
One thing I've learned while writing is that getting clients is usually less about technical skill and more about positioning, communication, and consistency.
I'd genuinely love to hear from developers here:
What was the hardest part when you started freelancing?
What's one piece of advice that actually helped you?
What's a myth about freelancing you think people still believe?
If you'd like to see what I'm building, here's the waitlist:
https://dev-afop-waitlist.vercel.app/
I'm mainly here for feedback, so don't hold back if you think I'm missing something.
I think what you're creating is awesome. I just built an app for freelancers that quietly handles your books while you actually get some sleep...lol! It's like having your own accountant for just $20 a month
I would be happy to share your stuff if you wouldn't mind sharing mine. 😉
I think the distinction between knowing how to build and knowing how to consistently get clients is really important. ~
A lot of developers learn the technical side first and only later realize how much of freelancing is communication and positioning.
I appreciate how it sheds light on the not-so-glamorous aspects, like pricing, discovery calls, proposals, and getting repeat business - these areas often have the biggest gaps that need to be addressed.
I've come to realize that tips on finding clients can be really specific to each person's situation. What might work great for someone with a lot of connections can be pretty much useless for someone who's just starting out with no network at all. It's like they're in two different worlds, and what helps one person might not even apply to the other.
The idea of making the guide practical rather than another collection of generic advice makes sense. I’d be especially interested in the parts around turning a first project into repeat work.
Thanks for this, really well said.
You’re right that the gap between technical skill and client acquisition is where a lot of developers get stuck. And the point about context matters a lot: advice that works for someone with an existing network can feel almost useless to someone starting from zero.
That’s one of the reasons I’m trying to keep the guide practical and situation-aware instead of one-size-fits-all.
The section on turning a first project into repeat work is one I’m paying close attention to as well. A lot of freelancers win the first job but never build the systems that make the second and third jobs easier.
Appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
One layer this list understates: professional delivery isn't just "do good work," it's the paperwork trail around the work. Talking to freelancers while building Alisio, an invoicing app for people who bill clients across borders, the complaint that comes up unprompted, more than pricing anxiety, is that clients quietly downgrade trust after messy invoicing: wrong currency, inconsistent numbering, a PDF that looks improvised. Nobody churns a freelancer over that alone, but it's the tiebreaker when a client decides whether to send the next project your way or shop around. Positioning gets you the first job. The boring operational stuff, contracts, invoices, how you close out an engagement, is what gets you asked back without having to sell yourself again. Worth a section of its own, not folded into "professional delivery" as an afterthought.
This is a really useful point, thank you.
You’re right that “professional delivery” often gets treated as just doing good technical work, when the operational layer (clean contracts, consistent invoicing, clear project close-out) is what quietly builds or erodes trust over time.
I’ve seen the same pattern: the first project is often won on positioning and communication, but the second and third projects depend heavily on how smooth and professional the process felt.
I’ll make sure this gets proper space in the playbook rather than being buried under general delivery advice. The “boring” operational systems are usually the ones that create repeat work.
Appreciate you sharing this.
Glad it's getting its own section. If it helps to scope it: the part freelancers underestimate most isn't the invoice itself, it's the close-out. The last email of a project is where the client decides whether working with you felt finished or just stopped. A short recap of what shipped, what's handed over, what's out of scope, and the invoice attached to that same message does more for repeat work than anything earlier in the process. The freelancers I've talked to who get consistent referrals almost all have some version of that ritual, and none of them think of it as marketing. Worth writing it as a template rather than advice, since that's the form people will actually reuse.
The hardest part is usually pricing confidently before you have proof of results. Advice that stuck: quote against the client's outcome, not your hours. Good luck with the guide.
Thanks for this, Ojin; really solid point.
Pricing confidently without past results is one of the biggest early struggles I’ve seen (and experienced myself). Quoting based on the client’s outcome instead of hours is something I’m putting a lot of emphasis on in the guide.
Appreciate you sharing that.
You already have a fairly clear thesis about why developers struggle with freelancing.
Before structuring the playbook around it, how much of that came from recurring patterns you've seen across other developers versus your own experience and observations?
Good question.
It’s a mix of both, but weighted more toward recurring patterns I’ve seen across other developers than just my own experience.
I’ve spoken with and observed a lot of developers (traditional, WordPress, and people using AI tools) who are strong technically but struggle with the same things: positioning, getting consistent clients, pricing confidently, and handling the business side of freelancing. The same frustrations keep showing up.
My own experience mainly helped me recognize those patterns and understand how discouraging the early stage can feel. But the core thesis of the playbook comes from seeing the same gaps repeated across many developers, not just from my personal story.
That’s also why I’m trying to keep the guide practical rather than purely motivational.
Appreciate you asking.
That distinction is useful. The difference between recognizing a recurring pain and knowing which parts of that pain people will actively invest in is usually where the interesting evidence appears.
It’ll be interesting to see what you learn once developers start using the playbook in practice.
Agreed. Recognizing the pain is only the first layer.
The more interesting (and harder) part is figuring out which parts of that pain people will actually pay to solve, and in what form. That’s something I expect to learn more clearly once people start using the playbook and giving feedback on what they applied versus what they skipped.
Appreciate you pointing that out.
That makes sense. I’m curious to see what patterns emerge once developers start applying it in real situations.
Would be interesting to hear what you learn as those first signals come in.
Will do. Once the first group of developers starts applying it and sharing what actually worked (or didn’t), I’ll share the patterns here.
Appreciate you following along.