How do freelance developers get work without using platforms like UpWork or Fiverr?

Hi, all freelance developers or recruiters.

I saw many times that Senior freelance developers don’t like platforms like UpWork or Fiverr because of the price cut and low price works. I also face this problem.

But, without these kinds of platforms, how can a developer meet or find potential clients? (FYI, I am not asking about local clients). What is the process to get clients?

Thanks in advance.

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Most often, you work for a while, build up contacts via meeting/working with people, then use those contacts. This work could be open source (focus very heavily on one popular project over a long period of time, basically becoming a core contributer, ie making yourself a trusted expert in a specific tool/language). More often it is from previous paid work with a job/jobs. And I know you say this:

But very often that’s how it works: you meet someone who runs a business, they need work, you do work, it goes from there. It’s probably not what you want to hear, but software development isn’t a special sector here, it’s not a ticket to easily getting remote/freelance work, it works the same as any other business (and freelancing means you would be operating as a business, so much of the time is taken up with business, not development)

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