A Glowing Assessment of the Upwork Platform & the Way it Works

[saintvega]

I just want to understand the model with regards to the Upwork Platform... so please let me know if my assessment of the business model/agency structure is right or wrong.

    "Upwork connects freelancers to job postings/clients/employers.  In order to keep the economy from being flooded with people who aren't committed to providing high quality business transactions/work, Upwork uses a system called 'Connects.'

    These 'Connects' can be purchased very inexpensively, and they are used each time you submit a proposal/bid on an open job posting. This ensures that a freelancer is not competing unfairly for attention against people who aren't serious/aren't willing to commit a small amount of capital to freelance through this agency, and it also protects the employers/clients by ensuring that the proposals submitted to them are being submitted as serious inquiries by freelancers who are very serious about doing good business [as evidenced by their willingness to invest in the purchasing the requisite 'Connects']."

Am I right or wrong in terms of my assessment?  Please let me know what you think, as well! 

Respectfully yours (with thanks in advance),

Michael A. Vega

[lysis10]

> This ensures that a freelancer is not competing unfairly

>  it also protects the employers/clients by ensuring that the proposals submitted to them are being submitted as serious inquiries by freelancers who are very serious about doing good business [as evidenced by their willingness to invest in the purchasing the requisite 'Connects']."

Not sure I would agree with this. Upwork likes to spin things in marketing speak to make it sound positive, but I think this move is meant to reduce the number of proposals a client gets and indirectly increase project costs by forcing freelancers to bid higher to cover costs and possibly getting rid of poor clients that have no money. Freelancers won't bid on low-budget jobs because it's not worth it to them, and if they do, they will be starved out of the marketplace due to inability to cover costs. 

I think 15 cents is probably too low. They should have made it a dollar or something for a connect. THAT woulda seen a huge shift in the way things work, but a girl can only dream.

[martina_plaschka]

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Michael V wrote:

I just want to understand the model with regards to the Upwork Platform... so please let me know if my assessment of the business model/agency structure is right or wrong.

    "Upwork connects freelancers to job postings/clients/employers.  In order to keep the economy from being flooded with people who aren't committed to providing high quality business transactions/work, Upwork uses a system called 'Connects.'

    These 'Connects' can be purchased very inexpensively, and they are used each time you submit a proposal/bid on an open job posting. This ensures that a freelancer is not competing unfairly for attention against people who aren't serious/aren't willing to commit a small amount of capital to freelance through this agency, and it also protects the employers/clients by ensuring that the proposals submitted to them are being submitted as serious inquiries by freelancers who are very serious about doing good business [as evidenced by their willingness to invest in the purchasing the requisite 'Connects']."

Am I right or wrong in terms of my assessment?  Please let me know what you think, as well! 

Respectfully yours (with thanks in advance),

Michael A. Vega

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I don't think that paying 15c will seperate the serious from the non-serious, whatever your definition of that might be. I don't agree with your black and white stipulation, it is a bit more complicated. Include in your equation the differences between countries, continents, cultures, languages, skills, cost of living, ratio of jobs to freelancers, change in the marketplace, market cap of upwork, and a few other things, and you might be getting there.