Ok, sure enough! The title is pretty self-explanatory, but I am curious. How did you get your first clients for software development?
I am more interested in how you got your second, third and fourth one. Most of the time we get lucky for the first one, maybe the second. But at some point a system has to emerge. What is the system you developed to attract new customers?
Did you do it by a personal brand, or you stood behind a company you created? Do you think a legal entity is more serious and scalable?
I am interested in your ideas and insights! Thanks!
Top comments (4)
I got my first project through facebook.
Thank you for your answer.
Did you contacted random businesses or someone found you by a Facebook group?
Client found me through group post.
the system question is key. here's what worked for 40+ freelancers i've tracked:
first 1-3 clients: pure luck (referrals, facebook groups, random connections). this phase validates you can deliver.
clients 4-10: the accidental pattern emerges. most freelancers discover their system by reverse-engineering where clients 2-3 came from. not where they TRIED to get clients—where clients actually appeared.
the pattern i see most: your first successful client tells someone. that referral is worth 10x any cold outreach because they're pre-sold. the system becomes "make current clients so happy they can't help but talk about you."
personal brand vs company: personal brand wins for first 50 clients. reasons: faster trust building, easier to pivot, lower overhead. legal entity adds credibility past $100k+ revenue, not before.
counter-intuitive finding: freelancers who try to "build a client acquisition system" upfront usually struggle longer than those who just deliver exceptional work and track where referrals come from. the system reveals itself through execution, not planning.
your question about the company entity—i've seen freelancers waste 6 months on branding/legal structure when they should've been shipping projects and learning what actually brings clients back.