The page's actual title is "...become Upwork freelancer", which is fairly specific and not click-baity IMO. (It looks like the HN title is the same now, changed from just "become a freelancer.")

yes, just updated title, because my post about upwork experience, not freelance in general, as many people pointed in comments.

> You should go and look for local clients, networking, contact companies that look for developers and try to persuade them that they can count on you too, etc.

Every time in these discussions people ignore the fact that there're thousands of developers outside of US/EU who can't just "look for local clients". Not so many companies want to hire a remote employee without some kind of protection.

I'm working via Upwork and I personally know over 20 developers from Eastern Europe who work there too. We all would be incredibly happy to work directly, without the app that takes screenshots every 10 minutes, and for US rates instead of $20-35/h on Upwork. But it's not that easy until you're a known developer with a good reputation.

I'm coming from Bulgaria. This is my second year in Berlin. You are right. On that topic the money that I earned in my country of origin represent half the rate I'm earning right now.

As I also stated the world is globalised. It takes me 2 movies time to visit my family.

You can see what's on your radar and if you can't find clients locally, go for business trips around your country ( VISA I guess would not be a problem for a couple of weeks trip ). Nobody will stop you from working wherever you want if you prove yourself.

>Maybe the OP shouldn't look for projects in oDesk-type websites.

Yeah, definitely not. Bottom feeders all the way.

Not true at all. High-profile startups do post jobs there. You can find good clients--it just takes some digging, negotiation, and patience.

>It's a really, really, really big sea of possibilities nowadays for developers.

If you are in the silicon valley or at least in some 1st world country - sure, you have a lot of possibilities and ridiculously high pay. The sad truth is that exactly same skillset can be valued 10x less or 10x more depending on your location.

I think you are not comparing apple-to-apple. Sure, SV pays good money, but the rent is also much higher. In Texas the pay may be lower, so is the rent.

I have a friend who works as full-time freelancer in a small town in Malaysia (Taiping, if you are really curious) and she helps local businesses to do IT projects. For example, she built a custom room management system for a small hotel. She used to work in Motorola Penang, and the freelancer job gives her much more freedom and time, and interestingly, her income is way better than what she got in Mot, even she just serves such a small town with population of around 245K (2010 data)

How do you contact them? Email, cold calling?

Have you tried doing rfps?

When you answer an RFP, most likely you are engaging into a race to the bottom (competing on price). Often an RFP means some PHB made a poor diagnostic, devised the wrong solution and just want someone to build it.

That is why I don't like to answer RFPs. Working on someones else's diagnostic is root of all evil for freelancers, it makes very hard to deliver maximum value. How would a brain surgeon answer if a patient enters the office saying "Yes, doctor, just open my skull right now and pull out the tumor!"?