Adrian Sticea has been building a career around WordPress since 2013. His path has included developer roles at small companies, years of freelancing, a stint at a U.S. digital marketing agency, a major project at IBM, time at StellarWP, and ongoing work for enterprise clients. For much of that time, Upwork was a reliable source of leads — until it wasn’t.
A LinkedIn post from Adrian showed a stark line graph: steady volume of Upwork-sourced projects for years, then a sharp decline ending in almost zero recent work from the platform. That post sparked conversation across the WordPress community. In his conversation with the Jukebox Podcast, Adrian walked through his experience and what he’s doing next.
What happened on Upwork
The drop wasn’t overnight but it accelerated around 2023–2024. Projects that once flowed through Upwork — especially the more complex, developer-focused work like custom plugins, enterprise integrations, and maintaining legacy codebases — became much harder to find there. Simple presentation sites and small gigs still appear on the platform, but the deeper, higher-value engagements seem to have migrated elsewhere or become less common.
Why the decline? Several factors
– AI as an accelerant: Artificial intelligence tools have made developers more productive. That efficiency can reduce the sheer number of developer-hours clients need, and in some cases change what kinds of skills or team setups clients choose. AI didn’t eliminate the need for engineers, but it has been an important catalyst in reshaping demand.
– Economic shifts and layoffs: Broader economic forces and large waves of layoffs in tech over the past few years reduced demand in many areas. Where companies once invested heavily in web projects during the pandemic, budgets and hiring priorities have tightened.
– Marketplace saturation and competition: The freelance marketplace landscape has changed. Platforms that pre-vet talent (Toptal, Codeable), staffing and temp agencies, and niche outsourcers now offer different workflows and candidate vetting that some clients prefer over the open-bid marketplace model.
– Platform fit and client preferences: For many simple brochure sites, clients now often choose page-builder platforms (Wix, Squarespace, Framer) or JavaScript-based stacks for new projects. WordPress remains valuable for complex, business-critical sites, but new project types are shifting.
– Price sensitivity and commoditization: As clients become more price-sensitive and as AI helps lower the cost of producing simple deliverables, competition intensifies and rates for some kinds of freelance work can be driven down.
The Upwork trade-offs
Upwork’s big draw historically has been ease: apply, win projects, and work largely through messaging without forcing in-person networking. That convenience helped many developers — especially introverts and those building work alongside jobs — scale their client load. But it comes with limitations: Upwork reviews don’t translate into external referrals, and relying on a single marketplace can leave you vulnerable if that channel weakens or changes its prioritization.
Adrian’s pivot and practical responses
Although the Upwork referrals dropped, Adrian’s overall income didn’t collapse. He intentionally diversified. His three-pronged approach has been:
– Content and LinkedIn: Posting and engaging on LinkedIn has generated leads and raised visibility. His viral post about Upwork illustrates the potential reach of a well-timed, honest update.
– Agency partnerships: He reached out to agency owners who occasionally need expertise for legacy code or complex tasks their teams can’t handle. These relationships provide repeat work and referrals.
– Recruiters and temp agencies: Building ties with staffing firms and recruiters who pre-vet candidates has opened projects that aren’t sourced through open marketplaces.
The upside of those channels is deeper, longer-term relationships and better-paying work. Unlike many Upwork engagements that end and disappear, agency or recruiter-sourced clients can lead to repeat business, ongoing support contracts, and referrals.
Lessons for freelancers
– Don’t put all your eggs in one marketplace. Use platforms as one channel, but build other streams.
– Prioritize relationship-building. Direct client relationships, agency partnerships, and recruiter contacts often yield steadier, higher-value work.
– Collect testimonials and contacts outside the platform. Ask satisfied clients for email recommendations, LinkedIn endorsements, or case-study permission so you own proof of your work.
– Adapt your offering. If demand shifts toward different stacks or project types, consider learning adjacent technologies or specializing where demand remains strong.
– Use AI as a tool, not an excuse. It can boost productivity, but it also changes client expectations. Position yourself around the value you add beyond raw output — architecture, reliability, maintenance, and strategy.
Where to find Adrian
Adrian shares updates and is most active on LinkedIn; his site is CustomWP.io for portfolio and contact information.
Bottom line
The decline in WordPress work through Upwork is a useful warning that marketplaces can change quickly. For many freelancers, the answer isn’t to mourn a single channel but to widen the funnel: build direct relationships, work with agencies and recruiters, and create durable proof of your work outside any single platform. For Adrian, the change spurred a shift to channels that deliver more long-term value — a reminder that sustainable freelance work often depends more on relationships and reputation than on any one marketplace.