u/ToxicVapour
▲ 1 r/WebGames
ArenaBots.io — Combat Robot Arena Remember battlebots heres your fix
arenabots.iou/ToxicVapour — 11 days ago
▲ 1 r/FiverrGigs
I’ve been working as an engineer and tried using Fiverr for side work, and honestly it just feels broken for anything serious.
Constant undercutting, spam proposals, and clients who don’t really understand what they’re buying.
It got to a point where doing quality work almost felt like a disadvantage.
I ended up building a small platform focused only on vetted engineers—no bidding wars, no $5 jobs, just direct connections.
Not trying to sell anything here, just curious:
Do you guys think freelance platforms are actually getting worse for skilled work?
u/ToxicVapour — 25 days ago
**The Fiverr problem (from both sides):**
**As a buyer:**
- Post a $500 project → 47 proposals in 20 minutes
- 40 are copy-paste spam from people who didn't read the brief
- 5 are underqualified but desperate
- 2 might work, but their portfolios are 80% stolen work
- You hire, they ghost, or deliver garbage, or "that'll be $2000 more for the actual thing"
**As a freelancer:**
- Race to the bottom on every bid
- $5 logo? $10 website? Sure, I'll spend 8 hours on that
- 20% platform fee on top
- Buyers who think "unlimited revisions" means 47 rounds
- Your profile buried on page 47 because you won't pay for "promoted"
---
**AE Studio is the opposite:**
| Fiverr | AE Studio |
|--------|-----------|
| Anyone can join | 4% acceptance rate, hand-reviewed |
| Buyer posts, freelancers bid | Freelancers build profiles, buyers book directly |
| $5-$50 projects | $300-$10,000 projects |
| 20% platform fee | 12% platform fee |
| Reviews can be gamed | Reviews only from completed, paid work |
| Escrow held by platform | Stripe Connect → money to your account |
| SEO-optimize your gig | We hand-match qualified buyers |
| Compete with 500k others | Compete with curated 50-100 per category |
---
**How it works:**
1.
**Apply**
→ portfolio review + reference check (takes 5 min, we review in 48h)
2.
**Get verified**
→ build your profile with packages, portfolio, rates
3.
**Get booked**
→ buyers see your rates upfront, book directly, pay upfront
4.
**Do work**
→ deliver, mark complete
5.
**Get paid**
→ 88% hits your Stripe account, 12% to platform
**No bidding. No race to bottom. No fake reviews.**
---
**Currently onboarding:**
- Senior devs (React, Node, AI/ML)
- Designers (brand, web, motion)
- Structural engineers, architects
- Writers, strategists
If you're tired of Fiverr's race to the bottom and want buyers who value quality over cheap, apply at [lumea-delta.vercel.app/join](
https://lumea-delta.vercel.app/join
)
Happy to answer questions about the model, the vetting process, or the tech stack.
---
*Built this after watching talented friends quit freelance platforms because competing with $5 bids is unsustainable.*
u/ToxicVapour — 26 days ago