Upwork now requires all milestones be defined in initial proposal?!?!

[wlyonsatl]

Why is it too often two steps forward with Upwork’s changes and one step back?

I see that responding to a fixed price invitation now requires the freelancer to define a project’s milestone structure in order to reply to a client invitation on a new project. (So, I set up a first milestone of $2,095 on Milestone 1 and $5 for Milestone under a potential client’s $2,100 budget. I’m sure the client will find that acceptable. NOT!)

How in the world can a freelancer be expected to define the milestone structure for a project with any complexity without first discussing the project and its requirements with the client? In my little corner of Upwork heaven, it’s not possible.

C’mon, Upwork, if you’re going to make changes think them through first.

[wescowley · Accepted solution]

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Will L wrote:

I see that responding to a fixed price invitation now requires the freelancer to define a project’s milestone structure in order to reply to a client invitation on a new project.

Will, unless they've changed it in the last few days, it defaults to milestone level but there's a button to switch it to the project-level quote.

[wlyonsatl]

Thanks Wes and Vlad for the additional information about how fixed price proposals now work.

I rarely do fixed price projects and was used to simply entering "MIlestones to be determined in agreement with client" for a single milestone with a single dollar amount.

Now I see I have to make a choice.

[VladimirG]

Hi Will,

Wes is correct, I can confirm freelancers and agencies can propose milestones when submitting proposals for fixed-price projects but this isn't a requirement. As an alternative, you can opt to submit a single bid for the whole project.

[gilbert-phyllis]

I'm pretty sure it's the same as it has been since I joined the platform in 2016. Unless I have sufficient information to construct actual milestones -- which is almost never the case -- I use very general ones ("Phase 1, TBD" or "placeholder") and use the cover letter to outline how I might approach the work and specify the info I need in order to develop a project plan, schedule &  budget. 

[moonraker]

I switch it to 'project' and usually just fill in any old placeholder number.