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Building InvoiceKit reinforced the same lesson I took from Thomson Reuters’ new Thomson model: AI becomes useful when the workflow’s sources, field meanings, review criteria, and edge cases are explicit. I turned that idea into a practical domain loop for freelancers and solo builders: authoritative sources, judgment examples, a rubric, and a reusable test set. https://marcusykim.medium.com/thomson-reuters-new-thomson-model-what-freelancers-should-learn-about-domain-ai-in-2026-cea84bf111b2
The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
Creatives on Contra have earned over $150M and we are just getting started
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Day 01 — Starting my Contra journey.
No clients. No big freelance portfolio. Just starting.
I’m going to document the process honestly — what I learn, what works, what doesn't, and whether I can actually land clients.
If you're also trying to get into freelancing:
What’s the hardest part for you right now — finding clients, building a portfolio, or getting your first project?
Let’s see where we are 30 days from now. #Contra #Freelancing #BuildInPublic #100DaysOfCode
𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 $𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗽𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.
35 jobs and 437 hours.
Honestly, this feels bigger to me than the number probably looks.
When I started on Upwork, I was charging $12/hour and still had a lot to learn. I was figuring out how to find clients, how to present my work, and how to build a good profile.
It wasn't always good. I had a cancelled job, a bad review, and my JSS dropped quite a lot. There were times when I seriously wondered if I could make freelancing work.
Then I started getting better clients. Some small projects became bigger projects, and a few clients stayed with me for a long time. One of my first clients became someone I worked with for more than a year.
Then I joined a full-time job, so I had to stop Upwork completely and close the work I had at that time. I honestly didn't know when I would come back.
After leaving that job, I started looking for work again and slowly started coming back to Upwork. I was working part-time until last month too, so there was a lot going on at the same time.
And yes, I was pretty worried about starting again.
My profile wasn't where I wanted it to be, I had lost some momentum, and I had to start reaching out to clients again.
But I kept doing it.
Today I opened my profile and saw $10K+.
That made me smile.
Not because $10K is some huge number, but because I know everything that happened before getting there.
The first $12/hour job, the cancelled project, the bad review, the clients who trusted me again, the long-term projects, leaving Upwork and finally coming back.
I'm still looking for a good remote job where I can work with a good team and keep growing. At the same time, if I can build a good name through my work and freelancing, I'd be happy to continue doing this full-time.
For now, I'm keeping both options open.
Really thankful to everyone who trusted me with their work along the way. ❤️
One milestone done. Let's see what comes next.
#Upwork #Freelancing #FreelancerJourney #FreelanceLife #CareerGrowth #Milestone #ProfessionalGrowth #RemoteWork
New case study
From 80% outbound to 80% inbound. From $1M to $5M+ in revenue.
I led the visual direction of an AI-powered QA brand from the ground up, transforming a complex product into a clear, credible and compelling brand experience.
Through strategic brand design, web design and digital storytelling, I helped turn the company’s website and identity into powerful growth channels.
The impact:
• Revenue grew from $1M to $5M+
• The lead mix shifted from 80% outbound to 80% inbound
• Brand and web became key drivers of trust, qualified leads and revenue
This case study explores how I built a cohesive visual identity and web experience that strengthened the company’s market position and helped convert attention into demand.
Great work!!