$5000 paycheck a month in Freelancing

The Lonely Coder & The First Client: How I Landed Work Without a Portfolio

The glow of my laptop screen was the only light in my tiny apartment as I stared at yet another unfinished side project. My bank account was running low, and the pressure was mounting. I needed clients — fast. But there was one big problem: I had no portfolio, no impressive case studies, and no big-name clients to showcase. As previously, I have only worked like an employee and I had to keep NDA, compliance, and to keep everything a secret…shhhhhhhhhhhh

Most freelancers would panic at this point. I certainly did — for about a day. Then, I realized something: Waiting for the “perfect portfolio” was just an excuse. If I wanted work, I had to create visibility right where I was. might have made some mistakes along the way and learned the hard way

So, instead of polishing a portfolio I didn’t have, I started sharing my journey in public. I wrote popular blogs about:

No one believed it’s TECH beyond AI/ML reference blog until…

• Integrating AI/ML into Your MVP: A Beginner’s Guide
• Freelance vs In-House Developer: Which is Better for Your Startup?
• Bitcoin Breakout: 64% ROI Pine Script Strategy | 45min

No fancy design, no corporate jargon — just real, unfiltered lessons from my daily work.

Then, something unexpected happened.

A founder messaged me:

“Hey, I saw your profile on xyz platform. We need working MVP prototype— can you help us build it?”

That was my first paid gig. No portfolio. No referrals. Just one person finding value in what I shared.

Since then, I’ve worked with startups, agencies, and even mnc’s — not because I had a flashy portfolio, but because I proved my expertise by sharing my work openly.

Lesson: You don’t need a perfect portfolio to start. You just need to show your skills in action.

The Freelancer’s Dilemma: Why Charging More Attracts Better Clients

Early in my career, I made a critical mistake — I charged way too little.

My logic was simple: “If I’m affordable, more people will hire me.”

But here’s what actually happened:

• Clients haggled endlessly, asking for discounts
• Projects expanded beyond scope with endless revisions
• Payments came late (if they came at all)

I was exhausted, underpaid, and frustrated.

Then, a mentor gave me the best freelancing advice I’ve ever received:

“Your rate isn’t just a number — it’s a filter. Charge what you’re worth, and you’ll repel the wrong clients while attracting the right ones.”

So, I standardized my rates — (and eventually to my current rate of $200/6hr).

The result?

• Clients who respected my time
• Projects with clear boundaries
• No meetings, only executable work
• Payments that arrived on time, every time, used a non-refundable amount for a handshake, and an escrow account

Lesson: If you’re good at what you do, charging reasonable doesn’t lose you clients — it upgrades them.

Juggling Multiple Projects Without Losing Your Sanity

There was a time when I was managing three client projects simultaneously.

• A startup needed a trading view strategy
• An investment banker wanted a working MVP
• A SaaS company needed performance tweaks in Angular

At first, it was chaos though quickly sorted out everything.

• Deadlines clashed
• Emails piled up
• My sleep schedule collapsed

I realized: Freelancing isn’t about working harder — it’s about working smarter.

So, I implemented three strict rules:

• No last-minute rush work (unless it’s a paid emergency fee)
• Clear milestones for every project with extendable/buffer budget(so scope creep dies early)
• One “deep work” day per week (no calls, no emails — just uninterrupted coding)

The result?

• Higher-quality work (because I wasn’t constantly context-switching)
• Happier clients (because I delivered on time, every time)
• A healthier me (because I finally had breathing room)

Lesson: Freelancing success isn’t about how many projects you take — it’s about how well you manage them.

The Secret to Long-Term Clients? Solve Problems Before They Ask

Most freelancers think their job is to write code.

But the best clients don’t hire you to code — they hire you to solve problems.

One of my longest-running clients started with a simple request:

“Can you fix this broken flow?”

Instead of just patching the bug, I asked:

“What’s the real issue here? Why are customers abandoning carts?”

After digging deeper, I discovered:

• The loading speed was terrible
• The error messages were confusing
• The payment flow had unnecessary steps

So, I redesigned it, A/B tested the changes, and boosted conversions by 22%.

Now, they come to me before problems arise — because they know I don’t just code, I solve.

Lesson: The difference between a one-time freelancer and a long-term partner is anticipating problems before they’re asked to fix them.

Want More Insights Like This?

Every two weeks, I send a no-fluff, high-value digest covering:

• — Tech deep dives (React, Angular, Node, Rails — what’s working now)
• — Freelance lessons (how to price, negotiate, and manage clients)
• — Behind-the-scenes of my product builds

Question for You:

What’s your biggest freelancing challenge right now? Reply to this thread/DM — I’d love to help.

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