u/Odd-Judgment-6427

We’ve grown a software agency almost entirely through referrals. Now we’re thinking about trying Upwork and other platforms.
We’re a small software agency and, honestly, most of our clients have come through referrals and word of mouth.
We’ve been fortunate to work with some really great clients and build everything from web and mobile apps to custom software and business systems.
The funny thing is that we’ve never really tried the typical freelancer platforms. We haven’t seriously explored Upwork or Fiverr. Most of our work has simply come from people recommending us to someone else.
Now we’re at the point where we want to be more intentional about bringing in new clients and are considering trying platforms like Upwork and other online communities.
For agencies or developers who have actually done this:
What worked for you?
Did you focus on smaller projects first?
Is Upwork still worth the effort for an experienced team?
What would you avoid if you were starting from zero?
Not looking for generic advice. I’d genuinely like to hear from people who have gone from mostly referrals to a more predictable client acquisition process.
Would especially love to hear from other small agencies and founders.

We’ve grown a software agency almost entirely through referrals. Now we’re thinking about trying Upwork and other platforms.
We’re a small software agency and, honestly, most of our clients have come through referrals and word of mouth.
We’ve been fortunate to work with some really great clients and build everything from web and mobile apps to custom software and business systems.
The funny thing is that we’ve never really tried the typical freelancer platforms. We haven’t seriously explored Upwork or Fiverr. Most of our work has simply come from people recommending us to someone else.
Now we’re at the point where we want to be more intentional about bringing in new clients and are considering trying platforms like Upwork and other online communities.
For agencies or developers who have actually done this:
What worked for you?
Did you focus on smaller projects first?
Is Upwork still worth the effort for an experienced team?
What would you avoid if you were starting from zero?
Not looking for generic advice. I’d genuinely like to hear from people who have gone from mostly referrals to a more predictable client acquisition process.
Would especially love to hear from other small agencies and founders.

We’ve grown a software agency almost entirely through referrals. Now we’re thinking about trying Upwork and other platforms.
We’re a small software agency and, honestly, most of our clients have come through referrals and word of mouth.
We’ve been fortunate to work with some really great clients and build everything from web and mobile apps to custom software and business systems.
The funny thing is that we’ve never really tried the typical freelancer platforms. We haven’t seriously explored Upwork or Fiverr. Most of our work has simply come from people recommending us to someone else.
Now we’re at the point where we want to be more intentional about bringing in new clients and are considering trying platforms like Upwork and other online communities.
For agencies or developers who have actually done this:
What worked for you?
Did you focus on smaller projects first?
Is Upwork still worth the effort for an experienced team?
What would you avoid if you were starting from zero?
Not looking for generic advice. I’d genuinely like to hear from people who have gone from mostly referrals to a more predictable client acquisition process.
Would especially love to hear from other small agencies and founders.