I've been on Upwork since it was called oDesk. That was 2010. 475+ projects, 100% Job Success, Top Rated Plus.

This month I set up shop on Contra too.

Not a rage-quit. Upwork built my career. Some of my best client relationships started there, including a founder whose API platform did $250K in its first 60 days. I respect what that platform gave me, and I'm not walking away from it.

But somewhere past project 400, I did some honest math. Sixteen years of reputation and relationships, all living on infrastructure I don't control. If an algorithm shifts tomorrow, my pipeline shifts with it. That's not Upwork's fault. I'm the one who let it get that concentrated.

The best time to diversify is while you're still winning. Wait until the work slows down and every move you make smells like desperation.

Why Contra specifically: most of what I lead now is team-based, fixed-price product builds in the $3K-$80K range, delivered with people across the US, Europe and LATAM. Scoped upfront, shipped as a team. Contra's model fits how we already work instead of asking us to bend around it.

If everything you've built lives on one platform, hear this from someone with a 100% score on his: your track record is real, but you're renting the shelf it sits on. Start building the second shelf before you need it.

And if you're on Contra and need a product scoped and shipped, my profile's live. Come say hi.