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I realized something after spending the last few days applying to projects on Contra.
Writing proposals isn't the hard part.
Understanding the founder is.
I've started reading every job post like it's documentation.
What problem are they actually trying to solve?
Why are they hiring now?
What would make them trust someone they've never worked with?
That small shift completely changed how I write proposals.
I'm still chasing my first Contra client, but every application teaches me something new about building products, communicating clearly, and thinking from the client's perspective.
Until that first "You're hired" message arrives, I'll keep learning, improving, and shipping.
The first client isn't the goal.
Becoming the kind of engineer people want to hire is.
Portfolio: https://pranavakumar.netlify.app
#Contra #BuildInPublic #AI #Backend #Python #FullStack #Freelance
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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When I moved from Upwork to Contra, I wasn’t sure whether I was making the right decision.
Now? I’m never going back.
Contra has given me more than a place to find work. It has connected me with clients who value my professional perspective, trust my expertise, and invest accordingly. It’s also given me visibility, community and the space to grow from an independent designer into a collaborative studio that’s continuing to expand.
So, if you’re just starting out on Contra, take this as your sign to keep going. Show up, share your work and give it time. You never know what it could grow into.
Wow...Thanks so much for this, Sydelle
I’m just starting out here and this has motivated me to do more.
Any tips on how to get better here, attract clients and all?
I u se 5% AI and 95% my own creativity in this whole design
I use AI for:
- checking if the copywriting solves the problem for the site's target audience
- generating text styles
- checking if there are any colour or typography issues
all the other stuff was my part:
- create the copywriting
- create the structure of the site
- designing visuals to match the copywriting
my point is: don't let AI do all the work
let it do all the boring stuff and do the fun stuff yourself
PS: I am open for projects: alikashif.co
Built a full-stack job portal aggregating government, private, IT, and other sector jobs. Developed the platform with Next.js 14 and Supabase PostgreSQL, including Google OAuth authentication. Created a Python web scraper using BeautifulSoup and Requests to collect job listings automatically, with daily execution through GitHub Actions. Deployed on Vercel with GitHub CI/CD and implemented responsive UI and SEO optimization.
The scraper is the part most people underestimate on a job board. Listings move, sites change markup, and half your value is freshness. Honestly just curious how you're handling rescrapes -- full sweep on a schedule, or diffing against what's already in Postgres? I've built...