You’re broke. Rent is due. Your M-PESA is flirting with zero. Then boom, someone replies to your Upwork proposal: “Hi. I love your work. Can you start today?”

You don’t even breathe. You say, “Yes!” Before asking about the scope. Before signing a contract. Before clarifying how and if they’ll pay.

That’s how some freelancers end up working 40 hours for someone who disappears like Nairobi landlords on the 1st of the month.

Desperation makes you skip steps. You’re not thinking straight. You’re thinking, “This is the break I’ve been waiting for.”

But sometimes? That “break” will break you.

I once took a gig for $150 that turned into a never-ending revision marathon with a client who thought "unlimited revisions" meant “harass me for 3 weeks”. Payment? Delayed. Then ghosted.

Lesson learned: I don’t work without a system. Even if I’m broke. Even if I need the job. Even if the client sounds “nice.”

What to check before you accept the job:

✔️ Do they have a contract or formal brief?

✔️ Have they paid freelancers before?

✔️Are they willing to send a 50% deposit or milestone?

✔️Is their communication respectful and consistent?

Your skills are your business. And no, you’re not being “difficult”; you’re being professional.

Desperation will get you underpaid, overworked, and emotionally exhausted.

Be hungry but stay smart.