3 years on Contra. A lot of effort. Still trying to figure out what I'm missing

I've been on Contra for almost three years, and I want to be genuinely honest about my experience I've invested so much time into this platform I've built and published projects consistently shared my work engaged with other creatives participated in challenges applied to opportunities and tried different ways to get noticed

But despite all that effort I still haven't managed to turn my presence here into consistent paid work

I'm not writing this to complain about the platform I genuinely want to learn from people who've figured it out

For those of you who successfully get clients through Contra

What actually helped you land your first few clients?

How important is the Discovery Score in getting discovered by potential clients?

Are there strategies that made a real difference beyond posting projects and sending proposals?

If you were starting again today, what would you do differently?

I've reached a point where I'm seriously reconsidering how much time and money I should continue investing in the platform

I'd really appreciate honest advice especially from designers who've been through the same experience and eventually figured it out

Sometimes a piece of practical advice from someone who's been there can make all the difference.

Less corporate, more coral.