Surviving Your First Year Solo: Finding Your First Client — Part 2

13 min readApr 21, 2025

I wish I could tell you there’s a neat, predictable path to landing your first client. Something simple. Something you could plug into a checklist. But if you’re reading this, you’ve probably already realized the truth: getting your first client is a weird mix of chaos, context, timing, and trust.

This piece is about that mess.

In Part 1, we talked about what it takes to survive your first year solo without setting fire to your savings, sanity, or social life. This time, we’re zooming in on the single hardest, most-over-romanticized part of the journey: getting someone to actually pay you.

Not hypothetically. Not someday. Not “I’m sure you’ll do great” energy from your friends. Real money. Real projects. Real clients.

This is the stuff I wish someone had told me early on — the things you don’t find in those recycled Twitter threads about “just network and post consistently.” (Which, sure, I’ll say too — but I’ll also tell you what worked for me, what flopped, and what people like Ayush Soni from HEX, Tyler from Off-Brand, and Dennis Müller from Amie figured out through sheer trial and error.)

No fluff. No theory. Just the real mechanics behind how freelancers, especially designers and solo creatives, find their first gig — and what they learn along the way.

Let’s get into it.

Estimated read time: 13 Minutes
B-roll is a weekly log capturing the raw realities of building a design studio. Here, you’ll find my unfiltered notes, real numbers, and the actual challenges I’ve faced — things I wish someone had told me when I was starting out.

1. The Truth Nobody Says Out Loud

Most people don’t find clients. Clients find them.

That might sound smug or mysterious. It’s neither. It’s just what happens when you’ve done enough visible, valuable work that someone, somewhere, knows you exist — and knows what you’re good at.

But here’s the punchline: when you’re starting out, you likely haven’t done that yet. You don’t have a body of work that lives online. You don’t have an audience, or momentum, or those weird serendipitous DMs that start with, “Hey, I think I saw your work on…”

So the early game isn’t about waiting. It’s about hunting. But not in a sleazy, LinkedIn-bro kind of way. Hunting for you means:

Building trust before anyone asks for it
Making it obvious what you do and how you think
Reaching out without being weird or transactional
(trust me i’ve had some … interesting… dm’s)
Leaving a trail of clues that say, “I can help”

The mistake most people make is thinking they need to look polished before they can start. They wait until their site is perfect, or until they’ve got a real case study, or until they feel legit. But visibility doesn’t come after you’ve earned it. It comes from doing the things that help you earn it.

This isn’t a catch-22. It’s a challenge to start before you’re ready.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Your bio clearly says what you do and who you help
• You have a pinned piece of work (or a thread) that shows your thinking
• You've shared a few in-progress projects - just enough to show taste
• You're visible in the comment sections of spaces where your clients hang out
• You've built a small but clear trail of evidence that you know your stuff
• You're talking about what you're learning out loud (like this article)
• You're DMing people whose work you respect, just to say so.
• Taking the L when someone doesn't reply - and moving on.

You don’t need a personal brand. You don’t need a newsletter. You don’t need to post daily. But you do need some kind of signal in the world that says, “Hey, I solve this kind of problem.” to the right person at the right time.

2. Your Network Is Bigger Than You Think

This is the part most new freelancers underestimate. They think “I don’t have a network” means they’re doomed. But your network isn’t just the people you’ve worked with. It’s everyone you’ve ever made a good impression on — plus everyone they know.

That friend from college who now works at a startup. That guy from Twitter who liked your Figma breakdown. That person on discord you helped troubleshoot something on that obscure tool you use. That’s your network.

It doesn’t take many of these weak ties to spark a lead. In fact, most first clients don’t come from your closest circle. They come from one or two degrees out:

Your cousin’s friend who needs a logo
A stranger who saw your tweet and remembered your name
The friend of a friend of a friend who you helped move once.

When you’re starting out, your credibility is borrowed.

You don’t have a backlog of glowing testimonials. You don’t have a household name. But you do have relationships, and those are very underrated.

So, how do you activate a network like that?

Start here:

• Let people know what kind of work you're looking for (and be specific)
• Follow up on past convos that ended in "maybe someday"
• Be helpful in public (forums, comments, chats)
• Share your work with context: what it's for, who it helps, why it matters
• Remember conversations and follow up on them.

A great pro tip by Ayush Soni / HEX.

“A big chunk of my projects come from designers at companies who’ve been following me for a year + and know that I do good work. So when the company raises / pivots and founders are looking to rebrand, they’ll suggest me”

Remember: people aren’t thinking about you. But they are thinking about their problems. If you stay visible, you increase the odds that someone will connect the dots when the need arises.

3. What’s Beyond? (And What’s a Waste of Time)

You’ve built your presence, you’ve reached out, you did the logo for the friend of a friend and now you want to start building yourself a strategy. That’s the moment where everyone breaks and starts Googling: how to get freelance clients fast. You fall down the rabbit hole of advice columns, templates, growth hacks. Most of them sound promising but don’t actually work.

Let’s skip that detour.

Below is a no-fluff breakdown of five outreach strategies — ranked by real-world usefulness, time to convert, and how they actually feel to do.

a. Referrals (The Gold Standard)

When someone else vouches for you, you skip half the sales process. The awkward icebreakers disappear. The person already trusts you — or at least trusts the person who made the intro.

This is the smoothest, lowest-friction way to land a client.

To increase referrals:

Let your friends and past collaborators know what kind of work you’re looking for and the best way to make the introduction.
Referral fees are a great way to ensure everybody wins. I personally offer 10% of the project deposit for any referrals big or small transferred to the referee once project starts.
After a successful project, always ask, “Do you know anyone else who could use help with this?” or consider providing an additional referral incentive as a new partner.
Stay top of mind by checking in occasionally, without selling. I do this by frequently checking in to see how the team is getting on, and how they’re finding working with the deliverables sometimes providing free updates where appropriate.

Bonus tip: Always follow up even if the referral doesn’t land. That person might send you the next one.

Referrals are how you move from grinding to gliding.

b. Cold DMs (Surprisingly Effective When Done Right)

Cold outreach gets a bad rap, and for good reason: most people do it wrong. But when done well, it’s a genuine way to make a connection.

Here’s what works:

Keep it short and human
Mention something specific you are excited about their project
Say what you do and offer a soft opening, not a hard sell

Don’t pitch. Make friends.

Think of it like saying hi at a party. If you wouldn’t say it in person, you shouldn’t ever say it in a DM.

This method works best when you’ve been following them for a bit — engaging, replying, showing up. Then the message feels organic, not random.

Here’s an example of a real conversation that led to a project worth $27,000.

c. Cold Emails (High-Effort, Slow Burn)

Cold emails can work. But they’re not quick wins. They’re slow seeds.

Best for:

Reaching founders or operators at small companies
Pitching specific ideas or improvements

Best practices:

Do your damn research! This doesn’t mean chatgpt, this means actually understanding what stage the company’s at, who they’re hiring for, what their current problems might be.
Personalise the first sentence and be specific. This is where you show off your research, making sure they see, you see them.
Be clear about what you do and provide a solution to their existing problem. This is not a sales pitch, this is a foot in the door.
Keep it short and actionable, no long winded cliffhanger.
Don’t attach files, don’t ask for a call. This email should focus on showing them you understand them + can add value.

If you’re going to do this, pick 10–15 dream clients and write real emails to each. One thoughtful note beats 100 templates.

And if they ghost you? Follow up ONCE if warranted.

You choose the frequency, in the past I’ve varied between 2 weeks and 3 months based on my due diligence of the client. Ususally this means, to congratulate them on recent news, a quick win, or offer support on a new problem.

d. Job Boards (Better Than Nothing)

Freelance job boards are like Craigslist apartments. Some are gems.
Most of them are filled with noise. Your milage may vary.

They can work for you — if:

You’re fast and polished.
Your pitch is tailored, not templated.
You follow up outside the platform if possible (LinkedIn, email, etc.)
You can manage your time effectively as hours will be wasted on pitches that go to somebody else.

Places like Y Combinator’s job board, IndieHackers, Design Buddies, or Polywork are good for early-stage projects, but don’t rely on them to be our sole source for work. Each company will recieve hundreds of applications and emails; the competition is huge.

e. LinkedIn Spam (Don’t Bother)

If you’re sending mass connection requests with templated intros, stop.
If you’ve thought about sending mass connection requests, stop.

No one reads them.
No one trusts them.
You’ll spend hours and feel terrible.

There are better uses of your energy. Like sending one genuine DM to someone you admire, just to say: “Hey, I like what you’re doing.”

Real wins come from real relationships. Not spam.

TL;DR:

You don’t need to try everything. You need to find your channel — the one that feels least soul-sucking and most aligned with how you like to communicate.

Pick one or two strategies. Go deep, not wide.

Getting your first client isn’t about quantity. It’s about resonance.

4. Flip the Script with Unrequested Work

One of my favourite tips came directly from a conversation with Dennis Müller from Amie which came in the shape of two parts.

It’s really that simple. Instead of waiting for somebody to hire you to do work, flip the script. Do the work for them and make them chase after you to have you on the project. Design that landing page, create that feature, solve that bug — offer it as a preview.

If you want to work with someone, make something for them. Not a pitch. Not a deck. Just something useful, thoughtful, and undeniable.

As Dennis put it perfectly, “the world is permissionless” — you can just do things. Build things. So why wait for permission to create work when you can just do the work.

Then you send it. No strings. No pressure.

All you need to say here is this:

Hey - saw you mentioned you were thinking about x, 
I had some ideas and put together a quick solution. 
Thought you might find it useful.

This does three things at once:

Shows initiative from you
Proves your taste in context of their product
Flips the dynamic — now it’s their job to reach you.

You’re not asking for work. You’re asking to solve more problem for them.

And even if they don’t hire you on the spot, now you’ve got a great piece of design to post, a clear example of your thinking, and something that could land you the next client from elsewhere.

Why it works

Most people are afraid to do free work. They think it devalues them. And yes, it can — if you’re doing unpaid revisions for an actual client.

But this isn’t that. This is outbound proof-of-work. It’s marketing disguised as momentum.

And it works because:

It lowers risk for the client
It shows you can self-initiate
It makes your name stick

Daryl Ginn built a whole career this way. A few strong, unsolicited pieces that made people say, “Wait… who is this?”

“In a world of permission, unrequested work is a superpower.” — Dennis

And the best part? You don’t need anyone’s approval to start.

5. How to Handle the “Yes” Without Panicking

You got a reply. Maybe they liked your pitch. Maybe your unrequested work hit a nerve. Maybe someone passed your name along at just the right time.

Doesn’t matter how. What matters is: you’ve got interest. Now what?

This is the part where a lot of freelancers quietly freak out. Because the dream of “getting a client” is easy to romanticise. But once someone says yes, the reality sets in:

What do I send?
How much do I charge?
What if I mess this up?

The good news: you don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be clear, calm, and competent.

Step One: Don’t jump straight on a call

Even if they ask. First, get your bearings.

Send them:

A short note to say thanks + what happens next
A few simple questions to understand scope, goals, and budget
A link to a portfolio or Notion page with 2–3 relevant pieces of work

This lets you:

Show you’re thoughtful and prepared
Avoid awkward discovery calls with no direction
Buy time to quote accurately so you’re not walking into an ambush

Once they respond, then schedule the call.

Step 2: Build a simple onboarding flow

Nothing fancy. Just enough to show you’ve done this before (even if it’s your first time).

Welcome Message — a short “Here’s what’s next” note
Proposal or Scope Doc — break down deliverables, timeline, and pricing
Contract — even if it’s basic, always get it in writing
Invoice — with payment terms and dates clearly stated
Deposit—get a deposit upfront to protect yourself
Kickoff Plan — outline the first 1–2 weeks of steps (even if rough)

Don’t overbuild this. You can polish the systems later. For now, just make sure your client knows you’re organized, responsive, and not winging it.

Step 3: Talk about pricing like it’s normal (because it is)

This is where a lot of people get nervous. Pricing feels personal. Vulnerable. But it doesn’t have to be a debate.

Here’s the mindset: you’re offering a service, not begging for approval.

Ask about budget before quoting
Anchor your price to the outcome (not your hours)
Offer two options if you’re unsure (e.g., Lean vs Full scope)
Keep it simple. You can explain the value if needed, but don’t overjustify

Confidence usually comes after the invoice, never before it.

And if they try to negotiate? Great. That’s a sign they’re interested.
Hold your ground with kindness. You’re a partner, not a discount machine.

Here’s some other resources to help you price yourself.
→ Reality Check: Where $100,000 Budget Goes
→ Nu School — Pricing Calculator
→ Intern — The Price is Right

Step 4: Set the Tone Early

The first project often becomes the template for how the client expects to work with you in the future.

So be mindful of:

Respond quickly, but don’t become available 24/7
Be transparent about timelines, blockers, and scope
Underpromise by 10%, overdeliver by 5%

And if a red flag shows up early (slow comms, scope creep, weird vibes) — pay attention. Your first few clients will teach you a lot about what to say yes or no to moving forward.

Final Thought: You Only Need One

Getting your first client feels impossible — until it isn’t.

One conversation. One yes. One project. That’s all it takes to change everything. Because once you’ve done it once, you stop feeling like an imposter and start acting like a professional. Not because the work is perfect — but because it’s real.

And real is what builds momentum.

Most of what we’ve talked about here isn’t flashy. It’s not built for virality. It won’t win you a thousand likes. But it will help you land that first project. The one that leads to your first case study. Your first referral. Your first confident quote.

That’s where things begin to shift.

So if you’re still in the mess — still trying to be seen, still trying to make something land — just remember: you don’t need 100 clients. You need one.

Show up. Be visible. Be helpful. Keep the faith.

Thanks for reading. I hope this made your next step less blurry.

And if you’re that person at the edge, wondering if it’s really possible to make this solo path work — yes, it is. But only if you start.

See you in the next one.

— Lovish from Otherdays

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