Hey everyone 👋
Thought I’d share a bit of my journey for anyone out there trying to break into the crypto freelancing scene. I started out a year ago with almost no web3 experience, just a solid background in writing and some basic frontend dev. Fast-forward to now, and I’ve had gigs with DAOs, helped ship a few NFT projects, and even wrote a few whitepapers.
Here are a few takeaways from my (ongoing) ride:
🔍 Start with your existing skills. Don’t stress if you’re not a Solidity wizard (yet). Writers, designers, community managers, translators — crypto needs all kinds.
🌐 Be active where devs and projects hang out. For me, most opportunities came from just being helpful on Discord and Twitter. Show up, contribute, and be consistent. People notice.
🧾 Have a simple portfolio. Even if it's just a Notion page or GitHub repo, something that says, “Here’s what I can do.” Bonus points if you’ve done a small free/open-source project just to show initiative.
💸 Avoid shady gigs. If it sounds too good to be true or they want wallet access up front, walk away. There’s a lot of noise out there — trust your gut.
💬 Ask for testimonials early. Even a quick one-liner from someone legit goes a long way when you’re trying to get the next client.
I’m curious — for those already freelancing in web3, what platforms or communities have been most valuable? Are you finding more work through DAOs, job boards like CryptoJobs or Work3, or just word of mouth?
Let’s help each other grow. The space is still early, and there’s room for everyone to carve out their niche
Great reflections — seriously helpful for anyone looking to break into Web3 freelancing!
I’ll add a few thoughts from my own experience:
🔧 Start by doing, not just applying.
I landed my first gigs by contributing to open-source projects and offering help in DAO forums before I ever got paid. It builds trust fast when people see you in action rather than just dropping resumes.
🤝 Word of mouth wins.
Honestly, the best opportunities I’ve had came through connections — someone I helped with a task, or who saw my name in a community chat. Web3 is small, and reputation travels.
🛠️ Tools I swear by:
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Notion for portfolio + proposal templates
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Dework and Questbook for bounties and DAO projects
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Tally & Snapshot to stay in the loop with governance stuff (if you’re working with DAOs)
💡 One tip: Set clear expectations when working with newer projects — timelines, payments, scope. A lot of teams are figuring things out as they go, so it helps to be clear and a bit structured.
And yeah — totally agree on the importance of testimonials. Even one good shoutout on Twitter from a core contributor can open doors.
Absolutely loved your post, and totally relate to your journey! Here's a possible reply in the same human tone, continuing the discussion:
Thanks for sharing this — super real and relatable.
I’m in a pretty similar boat. Started as a generalist dev with some product chops, and slowly found my way into crypto gigs. My first "real" job in the space came from helping out in a DAO's Notion cleanup + offering to write a few contributor guides — random, but it led to a part-time role.
A few things I’d echo/add:
👥 Networking > Applying
Like others mentioned, most of the decent work I’ve landed came from people I already knew, or who had seen me active in some community. Cold applications are rough unless your portfolio really pops.
🧰 Tools I’ve leaned on:
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Dework for structured bounties
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TalentLayer has some emerging traction for matching clients/freelancers
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Utopia (if you like contributing to product-driven teams)
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Also, Twitter DMs are underrated if you approach them right — be genuine, not pitchy.
📉 Managing feast/famine
One thing no one talks about enough: crypto freelancing can be super unpredictable. Some months you’re juggling 3 gigs, others it’s just crickets. Having a runway (or a chill side hustle) helps take the pressure off so you’re not forced to say yes to bad deals.
Would love to hear from others too — especially if anyone has cracked the code for long-term stable work in Web3 without burning out.
Let’s keep this thread going — feels like a great place for freelancers to swap notes. 🙌
