Use freelancing to directly benefit your product (and your wallet) — here's how

I can tell you from experience that freelancing delivers the ‘Indie’ part of ‘Indie Hacking’ in spades, creating immediate cash flow while you work on your product.

And that’s what I want to help you do:

To freelance on your terms, in a way that benefits your product.

This means minimal time investment up front, while still making it possible for people to hire you, and for you to retain independence to build your world-changing product.

Still reading? Good. Let’s get started:

We’ll approach this entirely on your terms.

By adding a strictly-limited service option, you can create your own micro-gig that allows for specific jobs to filter through, and not take away from the work you’re already doing every day.

If we do this right, you may also have the chance to:

• Promote your products
• Develop relationships with potential future customers
• Carry out potential user research with every project

…all while getting paid.

First, decide what you want.

If you really want to do this on your terms, you’ll need to make a firm decision on what you will and won’t tolerate.

That means you need to:

• Strictly limit your availability
• Be clear about what you want from this arrangement
• Define what you will not tolerate
• Clearly define your process so clients know what to expect

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• How much time are you willing to make available each week?
• What would your ideal project be?
• What kinds of projects are you NOT willing to take on?

Far from limiting you, these qualifiers can simplify things and make it clearer to see which opportunities you should entertain, and which you should avoid.

You just need to plan things in a way where the work you put into it doesn’t consume your entire week and take you away from your product work.

You already have limited time, so it’s crucial you only pursue projects you can 100% take on.

Next, set your fee

What you get paid matters. It’s why you’re doing this in the first place, and getting paid properly will keep you motivated as you execute the work involved. Here are a few pointers:

1. Do NOT charge by the hour

Charging by the hour may seem like the most obvious way to value your work, but it forces you to take one eye off the work itself to watch the clock. Charging hourly has the strange effect of pitting you and your client against each other — it’s in your interest to take more hours to complete the work, and their interest for you to do it in fewer.

2. Instead, set a flat project fee

This means discussing the clients’ expectations of the work up front. What specific outcome do they want? What business impact should this project have, if successful? Consider both the value of the work to them as well as the time, effort and expertise you’ll bring to the table. Then set a fee you would feel excited to receive for the work described. Be fair, but always include a cushion in case the project rolls on longer that you had expected.

3. If they really push hourly, try at the very least to set a day rate instead

You don’t sell hours, you sell results. That’s what you should both be focused on. If they really insist on billing by time, counter with a flat day rate. At least that way you don’t have to watch the clock.

4. Be ready for people to push back on your fee / pricing

Be patient, and explain why you charge this way, and make sure you express it in terms of the impact on the finished product. You want to deliver the best work for them, and it needs both time, effort and resources.

5. Set a ‘minimum project fee’

Set a ‘will-not-go-below-this-amount’ minimum fee for your work. You don’t want to take on loads of small jobs, it’s much better to take on a few, well-paying projects — especially if optimizing for time is the priority. Do this first, base it around your goals, before checking in with the marketplace’s expectations. We want this to work for you, and that is the priority.

6. Do not go under your ‘minimum project fee’

This might sound obvious — it’s called a ‘minimum’ for a reason — but in client discussions, it can easily happen. Every job is a negotiation. If a client wants to reduce your overall asking price, try offering additional deliverables instead.

7. The following phrases can be helpful:

“I work on a day rate of X”
“I can be available once a month for Y”
“My minimum fee for a project like this is Z”

8. Request a third of the payment up front

The idea was cash flow, remember? Well here’s your chance. Why? Because it shows that the client is serious and not likely to waste your time. If they aren’t willing to pay you a third up front, can you be 100% certain they’ll pay at the end?

9. Use mistakes as a chance to optimize

Most first-time freelancers have horror stories about money, whether it’s setting the wrong fee, being underpaid, not being paid at all, etc. These steps will hopefully help you to avoid most of this. Whatever happens, just remember to learn from mistakes and create a new rule so it never happens again.

Outline the specific solutions you offer

What’s your specific area of expertise, and how does it create value for your client?

Start with specific types of problems you can solve, and then adapt based on which gets the best reception from the marketplace. This aspect can be revised as you go along.

You may start to find that some of your skills are unexpectedly more valuable than others.

All of the same advice that applies to building products applies here:

• Focus on painkillers, not vitamins
• Speak to a specific niche
• Use social proof

Add a service to your current product

Imagine you were simply adding a service tier to the product you’re currently working on.

What would that look like?

This could be fertile ground for many of you to start from, and make sure that whatever freelance work you take on feeds into the product you’re building.

Example #1:
Let’s say you’re building an AI bot that composes SEO-proof content
You could offer premium content strategy services to B2B clients. Use each new project to observe how your client thinks of the challenges they face, and to identify the language they use to articulate the issue. They may also become the ultimate user of your product.

Example #2:
Let’s say you’re building a SAAS product to help startups reduce churn
Perhaps you could offer a ‘concierge audit’ option, working 1-on-1 with founders to look at their business traction issues and helping to fix them up front.

Whatever your area of skill or expertise, there are a few key things you need to remember to do when outlining services:

• Show your expertise
• Explain how you work (make your process obvious)
• Show the results the client can expect to get
• Make your fee structure obvious
• Make the typical timeline obvious

As long as you can show you actively work in this area, and can create results, that’s all you should need to offer a service that people go for.

Then, reach out to your network

There are two things we’re reaching out for, and it’s worth doing them in this order:

1. Get testimonials from 3 people who know your work
2. Reaching out to friends and colleagues for potential leads

1. Get testimonials from people who know your work

This could be ex-bosses, managers, colleagues… anyone who already knows your work and trusts you to execute it.

If you have limited professional experience, or have multiple contacts who are all at the same company, try this instead: get each one to speak about a different aspect of your work:

Testimonial #1: Bob is very enthusiastic
Testimonial #2: Bob is a top expert in databases
Testimonial #3: Bob helped us generate results on X project

Also, specific is better than general. For example:

“Bob is a gifted and precise engineer, he’s the person I look to when I have questions about Python,”

…is much better than:

“Bob is very professional,”

And be clever in how you request a testimonial quote

When it comes to actually writing your request, it can also pay to take a little extra time and write the specific testimonial you would like them to write for you.

These are busy people, and they will likely just okay your wording.

Be sure to mention the type of freelance work you’re hoping to take on, they may know someone who they could refer you to.

Here is a template you can use:

“Hey [NAME], long time no see! 

Could I ask a small favor? I’m looking to take on some limited freelance work on projects where I can help [IDEAL CLIENT] with [IDEAL PROJECT].

Could I ask you for a brief testimonial on the quality of my work? 

I know you can personally attest to my strength with [SPECIFIC SKILL / TYPE OF WORK].

I was thinking something like this: 
“[INSERT YOUR IDEAL TESTIMONIAL HERE]”

I can use the quote outlined above if you’re happy with it, but do feel free to send your own across if you prefer. Really appreciate your help.

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]”

Once you have three, put them together with some examples of your work.

For the examples of your work, stick to the format ‘Problem > Solution > Results’, so the value is clear, i.e.:

Problem- Adding profiles manually was a time drain
Solution- I wrote a Python script to do X
Results- Saving 4 hours a week we could spend on higher value work

Then you’re ready to reach out to the rest of your network…

2. Reach out to friends and colleagues for potential leads

The first task every freelancer has is generating trust with their new client. This is so much easier when you come recommended by a colleague, friend, or former employer.

Start with people who already know your work and your reputation.

Previous colleagues, ex-bosses, etc. We’re not looking for nepotism here, simply people who know you have specific strengths, and can be trusted.

Be very clear on your limited availability and scope

Don’t be concerned about this contradicting your search for freelance work. In my experience, when people know you’re busy, they may even want to work with you more. It also helps them see you are a committed, talented individual.

PRO-TIP: Don’t forget to include your main product in your email signature

This way you cross-promote as you go, and subtly tell people what you’re working on without being in-their-face about it.

Here’s another template you can use:

“Hey [NAME], 

Do you know anyone who might be looking for help with [SKILL/STRENGTH]?

I’m looking to take on some limited freelance work on projects where I can help [IDEAL CLIENT] with [IDEAL PROJECT], and an introduction from you would mean a lot!

You can see some testimonials and work here: [LINK TO EXAMPLES OF YOUR WORK]

No worries if nothing comes to mind at the minute.

Talk soon,
[YOUR NAME]”

A few final thoughts

Approach it like a product
Test things out, abandon what doesn’t work, and double down on what does.

Be ready to say ‘NO’
Taking on the wrong project, working with the wrong person, not being strict about your terms- these are the main reasons this approach will fail. You need to be confident giving a firm and definitive ‘NO’ to anything that doesn’t fit your ideal situation.

Partner up
Consider partnering with other freelancers or agencies who offer complementary services. For example, SEO copywriters can pair up with UX agencies, to offer a convenient add-on for anyone building a new website. This increases the likelihood of opportunities coming your way without having to constantly send out pitches and project applications.

If you can invest more time, join Upwork and Toptal
These platforms will connect you with clients who have burning needs, but they require a deeper dive than I have space for here. Set up a profile, and commit an hour each day to applying to projects. A word of warning - you may have to take on less-than-ideal work in the beginning to establish your profile, so do everything else first.

If you have a personal website, add a freelancing landing page
You can re-use the copy from your marketplace profile or application letter

Post on Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn
Change your profile to indicate you are taking on limited freelance work, and then post weekly social content that shows how you solve specific problems in your area of expertise. Break projects down into key stages, or show small fixes that show your strengths to others. If you’ve signed NDAs or similar agreements with clients, you may need to paraphrase, or remove any identifying logos. Check with clients if you’re unsure.

If you have skills you’ve ever been paid for, you can make it work as a freelancer.

Where you go from there is up to you. 😎

Last year, I launched a course called ‘Go Freelance with Confidence’ which expands on all of the above.

It’s already helping loads of skilled professionals kick-start their freelance careers and land their first clients. I hope it can do the same for you.