The timeline
Before freelancing, I had already spent years building Android, web and backend software. The engineering side wasn't new. Freelancing was.
When I started taking Upwork seriously in September 2024, my first project was a MERN stack website for a Jiu Jitsu platform. The first payment was approximately $3,000 — enough to show me this could work.
January 2025 was a major breakthrough. In my first year I averaged approximately $1K+ a month; in the second, approximately $4K+ a month. Today the total is $80K+ across roughly 18 completed jobs, with around 70% of clients in the US.
None of this was effortless, and it isn't typical or guaranteed. I also started with years of technical experience that many people starting out don't have.
September 2024
Started taking Upwork seriously
First project
A MERN stack website for a Jiu Jitsu platform
First payment
Approximately $3,000
January 2025
A major breakthrough in my freelancing journey
Year 1
Approximately $1K+ per month
Year 2
Approximately $4K+ per month
Current milestone
$80K+ earned on Upwork
Today
Documenting the journey and teaching practical lessons
My freelancing results so far
- Earned on Upwork
- $80K+
- Completed Upwork jobs
- ~18
- Clients from the US
- ~70%
- Upwork status
- Top Rated Plus
“~” means approximate. These are my own results, not a prediction of what anyone else will earn.
What I Learned
The lessons I keep coming back to
Relevance beats volume
Applying to fewer, genuinely relevant projects does more than sending generic proposals to everything.
Start with the client’s problem
Clients care about their problem being solved. A proposal that shows I understood it says more than a list of skills.
Explain your value clearly
Being good at the work isn’t enough on its own. A proposal needs to say, specifically, what the client gets.
Trust is built through communication
Clear communication builds the trust a client needs before hiring you, and while you work together.
I'm sharing these one day at a time in the 30-day journey and in more depth in the learning resources.
Why I'm documenting it now
Many skilled developers, designers and other professionals could work with international clients but don't know where to start, or send proposals that get no replies.
So I'm documenting what I've learned — the practical side of profiles, proposals, client communication and pricing — and sharing it for free in the Build With Aamir community.
Start Building Your Freelancing Career
Learn from the journey, apply the lessons, and keep improving your approach to finding international clients.
Learn Freelancing. Get International Clients. Earn in USD.