3 Secrets from a $2M+ Freelancer: Get the Best Freelancers CHEAP

I’ve paid millions to freelancers over the years.

My hardest lesson: paying more doesn’t always mean getting more.

Turns out, there’s a formula to hiring the right talent and paying the right price.

When I learned how to do it, I was able to get back over 20 hours / week, and improve work outputs massively.

But if you make the wrong decision, and it can bleed you dry.

Here’s the truth:

Spending time preparing a role for a hire >>>>> spending time searching for a snowflake that understands you.

Most business owners fail when hiring freelancers because they:

• Assign a complex project with vague expectations, and end up in the endless-revisions death spiral (and costs).
• Would rather get started than define “What is Success here?”
• Skip the vetting process.

Sound familiar? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

The good news — you can fix it.

Hiring the right freelance talent at the right price isn’t a matter of luck.

It’s all about being strategic:

Step 1: Stop Chasing the Unicorns

Too many founders are obsessed with finding the perfect freelancer—the unicorn who can do everything.

The needle in the haystack approach is a waste of time.

Here’s the deal: You don’t need a snowflake. You need someone who’s damn good at what you need.

• Be specific about the skills you need for the project.
• Hire specialists, not generalists—if you need a killer web designer, don’t hire someone who also claims to be a social media expert and marketer.
• Prior work experience DOES NOT MATTER. Focus on the results they deliver, and niche expertise.

Pro Tip: A one-minute video walkthrough is typically far clearer than an AI-assisted “job description” - and you’ll get a lot less AI-written garbage as a result.

Step 2: Be Crystal Clear About Scope & Budget

One of the biggest reasons freelance projects go sideways: Miscommunication.

Vague project briefs and unclear expectations lead to crap work & scope creep, which means higher costs.

How to avoid that trap:

• Write a detailed project brief. Include timelines, specific deliverables, and any must-have requirements.
• Be clear about your baseline expectations vs. what constitutes “WOW” overperformance.
• Set your budget upfront. Be transparent about your financial limits.
• Never hire the cheapest person. Hire the right person, as long as you can pay them.
• Use milestones to break down payments against specific performance.

Clear expectations from the start avoids 80% of headaches.

And the only one who can set those expectations, is YOU. So do your job.

Step 3: Vet, Test, and Validate

If you skip the vetting process you’ll get burned.

Here’s my no-fail method for vetting freelancers:

• Check for experience. Don’t be dazzled by fancy logos or big names—look for specific projects similar to yours.
• Ask for work samples. Not just their best piece, but ones that reflect exactly what you need.

But after that, I don’t go off running to live work just yet.

I always do a $300 test project first:

1. Walk them through it. I give a series of video walkthroughs, show them what constitutes “Done” / “Awesome” work.
2. Set timing expectations. “Final delivery in 7 days” but make it clear that there may be an iteration or two in between.

The test project is never “live” client-facing work - it’s a clearly-defined, standardized hypothetical project.

I tell them:

Act as if it’s a real live project.

…and how they perform tells me everything I need to know:

• You said you had the skills to do this. How does that compare vs. your work product?
• You agreed to deliver on time. Did you deliver early, with more than enough time for edits & changes?
• You said you would communicate & work well with the team. Were you clear with any questions?
• You said you were motivated to work. How does that compare vs. any extra length you went to?

Within a couple of days, I know everything I need to know about how this person is going to perform on live client work.

Funny thing - I’ve only ever disqualified one person for not having the full job skills.

But we’ve weeded out dozens that didn’t communicate well, that set unrealistic expectations for project delivery, or just simply didn’t show they were motivated to work hard when there was actual money on the line.

An easy split when it’s not a fit.

But the people that make it through… our average team tenure is ~5 years.

A Few More Things…

You don’t need to throw money at the most expensive freelancer to get quality work.

What you do need is a solid process.

Clarity above all, and expectations upfront.

Then test to see how they REALLY do.

Also:

• You’re really good at testing / validating when you test 3 people and 1 is a fit. Write off the expenses of the others as an investment in finding the right person.
• Always give 5-star feedback and write a glowing review for your freelancers - even if the job went bad. The best freelancers check the ratings you give to others, and may massively upcharge you if you’re someone who doesn’t always give a solid rating or awesome feedback. The more you give your freelancers incredible client testimonials, the more the best will want to work with you (and not screw you over!)
• I know tons of freelance hiring platforms inside & out, and if you want CHEAP but EFFECTIVE I recommend goLance because they walk you through the freelancer vetting & selection process

The best freelancers are out there.

But don’t set your budget on fire just to work with them.

You also want to check out:

Hiring Freelancers 101

Where to Find the Best Freelancers (for your specific job)

The 7 Most Dangerous Freelancer Red Flags

5 Steps to Not Not Get Screwed by Freelancers