The Delivvo Blog
◆ Field notes from the freelance economy ◆
Notes on running a freelance studio, delivering client work, and building Delivvo.
The Lede
The story we want you to read first.
Letter from the desk
Vol. 01 · Note No. 23
“We started writing because every freelancer we knew was getting the same questions wrong — pricing, scope, taxes, when to leave a platform. Each issue picks one of those questions and answers it with the data, the scripts, and the playbook we wish we’d had at year three.”
The Delivvo Team — Spring Issue
Off the press
The freshest writing — straight from this week's docket.
Selling Custom GPTs and Claude Skills as a Freelancer in 2026
The GPT Store has `500,000+` custom GPTs. Anthropic Agent Skills hit `20,000` GitHub stars in weeks. The two marketplaces are bigger, the monetisation models are clearer, and the freelance angle is still wide open.
The Delivvo team · 8 min read
№02Freelancer tools
How to Build and Sell MCP Servers as a Freelance Service in 2026
MCP SDK downloads went from `100K/month` to `97M/month` in 18 months. Here is how independent devs are pricing, packaging, and selling Model Context Protocol work in 2026.
№03Freelancer life
10 AI-Resistant Freelance Niches That Still Pay Premium in 2026
Anthropic's own data says `78.7%` of Claude interactions are augmentation, not automation. Goldman puts immediate displacement risk at just `2.5%`. Here are the 10 niches still raising rates.
Departments
Pick a desk. Skim what's on it.
Business
Retainer Renewal Negotiation: The 90 Day Window for Freelancers in 2026
Most retainer renewals are lost or won in the 90 days before the contract expires. Here is the week by week playbook.
10 min read
The Anti-Bench Strategy: Stay Booked Without a Pipeline in 2026
How senior freelancers stay 100 percent booked without cold outreach, pitching, or proposal writing. The four mechanics that replace the pipeline.
10 min read
The Two-Week Freelance Sabbatical: A 2026 Playbook for a Real Break
Two weeks off without losing a client, refunding a deposit, or missing a single deadline. The operational plan most freelancers never write.
10 min read
Should Freelancers Take Equity? SAFEs, RSUs, and Advisor Agreements in 2026
Cash plus a slice of upside is a fine deal sometimes. It is a terrible deal most of the time. Here is the math.
11 min read
Guides
The Anti-Bench Strategy: Stay Booked Without a Pipeline in 2026
How senior freelancers stay 100 percent booked without cold outreach, pitching, or proposal writing. The four mechanics that replace the pipeline.
10 min read
The Two-Week Freelance Sabbatical: A 2026 Playbook for a Real Break
Two weeks off without losing a client, refunding a deposit, or missing a single deadline. The operational plan most freelancers never write.
10 min read
The $10K Freelance Month: A 2026 Unit Economics Playbook
The exact math behind a $10,000 month, by skill tier, with the seven mix templates that actually get there.
10 min read
Direct-to-Founder Outreach in 2026: Skipping the Procurement Layer
Why the freelancers winning fast deals in 2026 stopped pitching marketing directors and went straight to the people who sign.
9 min read
Freelancer life
The Anti-Bench Strategy: Stay Booked Without a Pipeline in 2026
How senior freelancers stay 100 percent booked without cold outreach, pitching, or proposal writing. The four mechanics that replace the pipeline.
10 min read
The Two-Week Freelance Sabbatical: A 2026 Playbook for a Real Break
Two weeks off without losing a client, refunding a deposit, or missing a single deadline. The operational plan most freelancers never write.
10 min read
How to Get Freelance Testimonials and Case Studies From Clients
Ask at the right moment, with the right questions, and turn one project into proof that wins the next.
8 min read
How to Manage Multiple Freelance Clients Without Dropping Work
A practical system for files, comms, money, and priorities across every client you serve.
9 min read
Freelancer tools
AI Visibility Audits in 2026: Selling LLM Citation Reports as a Freelance Service
How freelancers are turning "where do I show up in ChatGPT?" into a $1,500 to $5,000 retainer.
8 min read
How to Deliver Large Files to Clients Without the Chaos
A calm, repeatable system for sending video, design source files, photo sets, and code archives that clients can actually open.
7 min read
Spec-Driven Development with Kiro, Cursor, and Claude Code in 2026
Cursor went from `$1B` to `$2B` ARR in three months. AWS Kiro launched broadly at re:Invent 2025 with EARS-notation specs. The fastest freelance devs in 2026 are picking a spec workflow, not just an editor.
8 min read
n8n vs Make vs Zapier vs Pipedream for Freelance Automation in 2026
n8n hit a `$2.5B` valuation in October 2025 with `230,000+` users. Zapier still owns the SMB market with `3M+` users. Here is the real 2026 automation stack for freelance ops, with rates and break-even math.
8 min read
Evergreen reads
The three most-read posts of all time — the ones that keep coming up.
Pick № 01Freelancer tools
AI Agents Hit 40% of Upwork Tasks: Freelancer Repositioning 2026
AI-related GSV on Upwork crossed `$300M` annualized in Q4 2025, up `50%+` YoY, while AI Integration & Automation work jumped `90%+` YoY. Here is what senior freelancers are doing about it.
The Delivvo team · 10 min
Pick № 02Freelancer tools
5 Months In: What the Bonsai-Zoom Deal Changed for Freelancers
Honest read on what's different — and what isn't — since Zoom bought Bonsai in November 2025.
The Delivvo team · 5 min
Pick № 03Comparisons
Cursor 2.0 Composer vs GitHub Copilot Agent: 2026 Dev Verdict
Cursor shipped Composer and a multi-agent interface on October 29, 2025. GitHub Copilot Agent Mode hit general availability in April 2025. A year in, which one actually wins on client codebases?
The Delivvo team · 7 min
The Delivvo Dispatch
The next issue lands in your inbox.
Every fresh post, plus the occasional Delivvo product update. No drip sequences. No upsell ladders. Drop the address, get the writing.
From the archive
The latest months, by issue. Browse the full back catalogue any time.
June 2026
30 storiesJun 7
Apple Pay and Google Pay for Freelancers: Worth Offering in 2026?
7 mingetting paidJun 7
Escrow vs Direct Payment for Freelance Projects in 2026
7 mingetting paidJun 7
PCI Compliance for Freelancers in 2026: What You Actually Need
7 minsecurityJun 7
How to Cut Failed Payments and Card Declines on Freelance Invoices in 2026
7 mingetting paidJun 7
Recurring Payments for Freelancers: A 2026 Setup Guide
7 mingetting paidJun 7
The True Cost of Payment Processing Fees for Freelancers in 2026
7 minPricingJun 7
How to Accept Card Payments as a Freelancer Without a Company in 2026
7 mingetting paidJun 7
Stripe vs PayPal vs Regional Gateways: A Freelancer's 2026 Guide
7 mingetting paidJun 7
How GCC Freelancers Get Paid in 2026: KNET, mada, and Local Rails
7 mingetting paidJun 5
Retainer Renewal Negotiation: The 90 Day Window for Freelancers in 2026
10 minBusiness
May 2026
143 storiesMay 30
How to Sell a Freelance Business in 2026: Valuation, Buyers, and Exit
9 minBusinessMay 30
Your First Freelance Hire in 2026: Subcontractor, VA, or AI Agent?
8 minBusinessMay 30
Freelance Affiliate and Referral Income in 2026: Building Partner Pipelines
8 minBusinessMay 30
Spec-Driven Development with Kiro, Cursor, and Claude Code in 2026
8 minFreelancer toolsMay 30
n8n vs Make vs Zapier vs Pipedream for Freelance Automation in 2026
8 minComparisonsMay 28
How to Collect a Deposit Before Starting a Freelance Project
4 minGuidesMay 28
Client Portal vs Email: How Freelancers Should Deliver Work
4 minGuidesMay 28
How to Ask a Client to Approve Your Work (Email Templates)
5 minGuidesMay 28
What to Include in a Freelance Invoice So You Get Paid Faster
5 minGuidesMay 28
How to Send a Client a Contract to E-Sign Without DocuSign
5 minGuides
April 2026
16 storiesApr 30
The 30-Day Freelance Client Onboarding Checklist for 2026
9 minClient managementApr 30
How to Get Your First Freelance Client in 2026 Without Upwork
8 minFreelancer lifeApr 30
The Freelance Proposal Template That Wins 56% of the Time in 2026
8 minTemplatesApr 30
How to Stop Scope Creep: 5 Freelance Email Scripts for 2026
8 minClient managementApr 30
Upwork vs Fiverr vs Toptal: Where Freelancers Earn Most in 2026
8 minComparisonsApr 29
Notion Is a Great Freelance Client Portal — Until It Isn't
7 minComparisonsApr 29
The Freelance Tax Survival Guide for 2026: US, UK & EU
7 minBusinessApr 29
How Freelancers Are Actually Using AI Agents in 2026
6 minOpinionApr 29
Stripe vs PayPal vs Wise: Best for Freelance Income in 2026
6 minPaymentsApr 29
Stop Running Your Freelance Business on WhatsApp in 2026
7 minClient management