Freelancers using AWSFreelancers using AWS
Experienced Drupal Developer
$500k+
Earned
11x
Hired
5.0
Rating
37
Followers
Experienced Drupal Developer
AI Integration & Automation Engineer | Full-Stack Web Apps
$50k+
Earned
63x
Hired
4.9
Rating
100
Followers
AI Integration & Automation Engineer | Full-Stack Web Apps
Full-Stack Dev | AI Agents, Typescript, Next.js & Supabase
$25k+
Earned
4x
Hired
5.0
Rating
103
Followers
Full-Stack Dev | AI Agents, Typescript, Next.js & Supabase
Top 1% | 10+ Yrs | Design, Engineering & Growth Systems
$5k+
Earned
9x
Hired
5.0
Rating
132
Followers
Top 1% | 10+ Yrs | Design, Engineering & Growth Systems
Cover image for What 2 Unpaid Projects Taught
What 2 Unpaid Projects Taught Me About Protecting Yourself I learned these lessons the expensive way. Sharing so you don't have to. 1. Get payment milestones in writing before you start. Not "we'll figure it out." Not a handshake. A contract with clear milestones, amounts, and deadlines. On-platform, where there's a record. 2. Never deliver 100% before final payment clears. I delivered a complete project, handed over all credentials, and trusted the client to pay. He didn't. Once everything is in their hands, your leverage is gone. 3. Silence is a red flag, not patience. When a client goes quiet for weeks after delivery, they're not "busy." They're hoping you'll give up. Set a deadline: if payment doesn't come within 7 days of delivery, escalate immediately. 4. Document everything outside the platform too. Screenshots of WhatsApp conversations, email confirmations, deployment logs, Git commits. If a dispute happens, your paper trail is your case. 5. Partial delivery is your best protection. On a multi-milestone project, never build ahead of payment. Finish milestone 1, get paid, then start milestone 2. If the client disappears after milestone 1, you've lost time but not unpaid work. 6. Threats mean you have leverage. When a client suddenly threatens legal action, bad reviews, and bans instead of just paying, it tells you one thing: they know they owe you and they're trying to scare you into walking away. Don't. 7. Keep your emotions out of your communication. Every message to support, every email, every response should be factual and professional. The moment you sound emotional, the focus shifts from "client didn't pay" to "freelancer is being difficult." I'm sharing this because I wish someone had told me before I lost sleep over it. Protect your work. Protect your time. And never feel guilty about expecting to be paid for what you delivered. @contrahq @sanganakhq
10
9
479
Full-Stack Dev (Web, Mobile, Desktop) & Chromium Browser
$50k+
Earned
7x
Hired
5.0
Rating
48
Followers
Full-Stack Dev (Web, Mobile, Desktop) & Chromium Browser
Full-stack developer building high-impact web products.
$25k+
Earned
3x
Hired
5.0
Rating
46
Followers
Full-stack developer building high-impact web products.
Software | AI | Fullstack Engineer.
$25k+
Earned
6x
Hired
5.0
Rating
59
Followers
Software | AI | Fullstack Engineer.
Software Engineer · iOS/Android · Big Data · AI · UX/UI
$5k+
Earned
2x
Hired
5.0
Rating
68
Followers
Software Engineer · iOS/Android · Big Data · AI · UX/UI