Everyone says Upwork is saturated… but here’s what I’ve noticed: the freelancers who consistently win clients are not always the ones with the most polished profiles or the fanciest portfolios. The real winners? They’re the ones who take the time to understand their client’s mindset. They know what the client truly wants, what pain points they have, and how to make their life easier. I’m curious to hear from you all:💡 What’s one thing you do to really understand a client before sending a proposal?Everyone says Upwork is saturated… but here’s what I’ve noticed: the freelancers who consistently win clients are not always the ones with the most polished profiles or the fanciest portfolios. The real winners? They’re the ones who take the time to understand their client’s mindset. They know what the client truly wants, what pain points they have, and how to make their life easier. I’m curious to hear from you all:💡 What’s one thing you do to really understand a client before sending a proposal?

This might sound like a dark post, but I think it is helpful to know what skills to invest time in and which are simply not worth it anymore in 2025/2026. I got inspired to do this post because I used to do a lot of projects on Upwork in the translation niche a few years ago, took a break of about 6 months and when I came back it was impossible to land new projects. And mind you, I didn't have a new profile - I had $20k earned and multiple 5-star reviews. But still, it was impossible for me to land new translation work there, so after 3 months I gave on Upwork for that niche. Did anyone here have similar experiences with other niches, that are simply not worth it anymore on Upwork? Curious to hear!