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Project Catalog™—now available globally!

lenaellis
Community Member

Over the past few months, many of you have helped us test and refine our newest Upwork offering: Project Catalog. 

 

Through your contributions, feedback, and support, we’re thrilled to announce that Project Catalog is now officially live for the entire Upwork community—talent and clients alike.

 

If you’re not familiar with Project Catalog (or just want a refresher), here’s a quick introduction:

 

Project Catalog is where the work you love finds you. Build and sell your own project offerings based on the type of work you want more of. Each project will be listed on Project Catalog, ready for clients to purchase for a fixed price in just a few clicks. Once a client purchases, they’ll fill out any requirements you’ve requested, and you’ll be set to get to work.

 

It’s an easy way to get more eyes on your offering and land new projects quickly—all while putting you in the driver’s seat. That means you and your clients can get started right away, and with confidence.

 

Check out this video to learn how clients will discover and purchase your projects. 

 

 

Stay tuned for more exciting rollouts 

 

Project Catalog is just the beginning of a series of exciting new ways to land clients on Upwork, adding to Talent Marketplace, the current platform you already know and love.

 

But no matter how you choose to use Upwork to grow your independent work, know that we’re dedicated to helping you build the strong and profitable relationships that are the foundation of a growing business.

 

We want to thank you for your hard work and the contributions you make to creating a thriving community on Upwork.

 

Happy New Year—may it be your most rewarding one yet!

 

 

824 Comments
petra_r
Community Member

Sean H wrote:

I don't want to end up ruining my 100% perfect record because the system is inflexible 


This is why I have not created a project.

NikolaS
Moderator

Hi Madhav,

 

Thanks for your question. Project ranking depends on the search query, talent quality, and offering competitiveness. We are actively fine tuning and updating our ranking strategy to ensure fairness and robustness.

 

sean_holland
Community Member

So I am right in assuming this is a badly thought out beta which does not take into account the fact that clients are unpredicatable?

 

Great... Yet another Upwork fail. 

petra_r
Community Member

Sean H wrote:

So I am right in assuming this is a badly thought out beta which does not take into account the fact that clients are unpredicatable?

 

Great... Yet another Upwork fail. 


Personally I think unless you work in a category where you can create a project which is always the exact same and can be nailed down with no variation being needed, and are always available and willing to drop everything to do a project when a client buys one, it is dangerous.

 

I can't do that because my clients never have a project that is exactly one size and complexity. 


Because of the way Upwork has created this, it's just too risky for me.

I am also not cheap in my category and Upwork said (in not so many words, and sort of between the lines, but clearly) that they show clients cheap stuff first.

sean_holland
Community Member

Exactly - So it is broken for 99% of projects. 

 

Unbelievable. This is what happens when you let developers invent things with no input from creatives. They have no real-world common sense. Everything is binary. I cannot even find my projects in order to delete them from my account. Where is the button that says "Projects"

 

I am guessing there is a Mercury retrograde coming in...I am experiencing nothing but technical issues with software today. My bank has locked me out too, this morning.

 

Time to meditate...  

NikolaS
Moderator

Hi Sean,

 

I am sorry for the late response. I shared your report with our team and one of our agents already reached out to you directly via a support ticket to assist you further. You can access your ticket on this page.

 

Thank you for sharing your feedback, I will share it with our team members.

 

gina-herrera
Community Member
“I am also not cheap in my category and Upwork said (in not so many words, and sort of between the lines, but clearly) that they show clients cheap stuff first.“

... are you serious? If they are showing cheap stuff first how does this benefit anyone? Cheap clients don’t make the site $.

I wonder if they are assuming the budget clients will go to this catalog offering and the rest will contact freelancers directly or put up a post.

The real question is why is upwork so desperate to limit the back and forth between client and freelancer when that conversation is often what prevents bad feeling and thus, arbitration.
feed_my_eyes
Community Member

Gina H wrote:
The real question is why is upwork so desperate to limit the back and forth between client and freelancer when that conversation is often what prevents bad feeling and thus, arbitration.

I would imagine that there are several advantages in discouraging pre-contract communication (for Upwork, not for clients or freelancers):

 

1. Clients won't realise that the "fluent" English-speaker they're hiring doesn't actually speak much English at all. 

2. Clients won't ask questions and realise that the freelancer has misrepresented their skills and doesn't actually know how to do the task.

3. Freelancers won't have the opportunity to ask detailed questions, realise that the set budget doesn't cover the client's expectations, and decline the project.

4. Freelancers won't be able to sense that a client is demanding or unprofessional or difficult, and refuse to work with them.

 

petra_r
Community Member

Gina H wrote:
“I am also not cheap in my category and Upwork said (in not so many words, and sort of between the lines, but clearly) that they show clients cheap stuff first.“

... are you serious? If they are showing cheap stuff first how does this benefit anyone? Cheap clients don’t make the site $n.

Of course I am serious.

 

Valeria K wrote:

 

Project ranking depends on the search query, talent quality, and offering competitiveness.


Can we please confirm that "competitiveness" is a euphemism for "cheap"?


Why not just call it "cheap"? It won't feel any better, but at least it would not feel like we're being made a fool out of.

gina-herrera
Community Member

Petra R wrote:

Can we please confirm that "competitiveness" is a euphemism for "cheap"?


Why not just call it "cheap"? It won't feel any better, but at least it would not feel like we're being made a fool out of.


I hadn't noticed that, but totally agreed that it's definitely an alternative word for cheap.

Higher cost freelancers don't offer "competitiveness" - I don't think any of us compete on pricing ever, the price is the price and if you don't like it go elsewhere. But this approach with the Catalog will definitely take some people "sitting on the fence" and deciding between a $300 and a $500 freelancer to go with the cheaper option if we were to participate, because all they can judge based on at first glance is one picture and one price, there is no cover letter to solidify communication and language skills or ensure that everyone is on the same page with deliverables and explain WHY someone is worth $200 more. Another girl already posted within the first or second day of the catalog rollout that their very first offer needed to be canceled because they were unclear on the (very clearly) listed deliverables.

At the end of the day I am hoping that clients looking for very cheap work will go to the Catalog, and those who take the hire seriously will stick to things as they are but who knows.