u/AdAgreeable6412

Hey guys,

So I started a software house about 8-9 months ago. We were on Fiverr and Upwork for a while and honestly did pretty well in terms of numbers. But I always had this feeling in the back of my mind that these platforms weren't going to last, we needed to move away from them as soon as possible.

Well, we waited too long. Fiverr randomly deranked us and to this day I have no idea why. Just like that, we went from doing okay to hitting rock bottom.

Now we're trying everything we can, cold email, LinkedIn, you name it. But you guys know how it is, these things take a LOT of time to actually kick in, and the pressure is real.

Here's the thing though, we have a team, we have the talent, we have the work to back it up. The only thing we're missing right now is good clients.

Has anyone been through something similar? How did you make the jump from platforms like Fiverr and Upwork to getting direct clients? Any advice, tips, or even just a honest conversation would mean a lot.

Looking forward to hearing something valuable from you guys!

Hey guys,

So I started a software house about 8-9 months ago. We were on Fiverr and Upwork for a while and honestly did pretty well in terms of numbers. But I always had this feeling in the back of my mind that these platforms weren't going to last, we needed to move away from them as soon as possible.

Well, we waited too long. Fiverr randomly deranked us and to this day I have no idea why. Just like that, we went from doing okay to hitting rock bottom.

Now we're trying everything we can, cold email, LinkedIn, you name it. But you guys know how it is, these things take a LOT of time to actually kick in, and the pressure is real.

Here's the thing though, we have a team, we have the talent, we have the work to back it up. The only thing we're missing right now is good clients.

Has anyone been through something similar? How did you make the jump from platforms like Fiverr and Upwork to getting direct clients? Any advice, tips, or even just a honest conversation would mean a lot.

Looking forward to hearing something valuable from you guys!

Non-technical founder has a solid idea. Goes on Reddit, LinkedIn, every forum possible looking for a "technical cofounder." Spends 3, 4, sometimes 6 months searching. Gives away 30-40% equity. And half the time it still doesn't work out because building a product together is very different from just being friends who vibe on an idea.

Meanwhile the idea sits. The market moves. Someone else ships it.

Here's what nobody tells you, a cofounder isn't a requirement. It's one option. And honestly for most early stage founders it's not even the best one.

What you actually need is someone who shows up, knows what they're doing, and gets the thing built. You need reliability more than you need a co-owner.

A good dev partner gives you the same output, sometimes better, because they've seen 10, 20, 50 products get built. They know what breaks. They know what to skip. They're not learning on your dime.

Curious if anyone here has gone the dev partner route, how did it go?

Non-technical founder has a solid idea. Goes on Reddit, LinkedIn, every forum possible looking for a "technical cofounder." Spends 3, 4, sometimes 6 months searching. Gives away 30-40% equity. And half the time it still doesn't work out because building a product together is very different from just being friends who vibe on an idea.

Meanwhile the idea sits. The market moves. Someone else ships it.

Here's what nobody tells you, a cofounder isn't a requirement. It's one option. And honestly for most early stage founders it's not even the best one.

What you actually need is someone who shows up, knows what they're doing, and gets the thing built. You need reliability more than you need a co-owner.

A good dev partner gives you the same output, sometimes better, because they've seen 10, 20, 50 products get built. They know what breaks. They know what to skip. They're not learning on your dime.

Curious if anyone here has gone the dev partner route, how did it go?