Adrian Sticea has been building with WordPress since 2013—starting with local companies, moving into freelance work, joining a US digital marketing agency, then IBM in 2018 for a large WordPress learning platform, later working at StellarWP, and returning to freelancing in 2025. Recently a LinkedIn post of his — showing a dramatic drop in the volume of WordPress work he received via Upwork from steady levels into a cliff-like decline to near zero — went viral and sparked conversations about where WordPress work has gone and how freelancers should respond.
What happened on Upwork
For years Upwork was a reliable lead source for Adrian: part-time at first, then for long stretches serving as his primary channel for paid projects. The graph in his post showed work flowing steadily through the platform from about 2015 through 2020, then tapering in 2022–2023 and plummeting by 2026. That decline reflects not just fewer website gigs, but particularly fewer higher-complexity, developer-focused projects — the plugin work, legacy code maintenance, and enterprise-level builds Adrian specialized in.
Why work decreased
There’s no single cause. Adrian and the interview host identify several overlapping factors:
– AI acceleration: Tools have made developers faster. That efficiency can reduce demand for the same headcount, and some tasks have been automated or streamlined, meaning fewer hours billed for equivalent outcomes. AI is an accelerator, not the only reason, but it shifted expectations about speed and cost.
– Economic shifts and layoffs: Tech layoffs and changing budgets since 2022 reduced hiring and project starts. Less demand plus faster delivery creates a squeeze.
– Marketplace saturation and competition: More sellers on Upwork, and different buyer behavior. Clients who value vetted, higher-trust talent increasingly use pre-vetted platforms (Toptal, Codeable) or temp/recruiter channels that can present curated candidates.
– Alternative builders and stacks: For simple brochure websites, page-builder platforms (Wix, Squarespace, Framer) and modern JS stacks are attractive and sometimes cheaper/faster. Some new projects prefer JS-based stacks where tooling and AI combine well, moving certain new-build demand away from traditional WordPress work.
– Nature of Upwork relationships: Upwork often produces one-off, transactional gigs with limited downstream referrals. Satisfied clients on the platform usually leave a review, but they rarely generate personal referrals or long-term relationships that drive recurring work.
The effect of market change
Adrian noticed the US market in particular shifted. Simple site-building work still exists on Upwork, but more complex developer work has migrated to other channels: agencies that maintain long-term contracts, recruiter/temp firms that pre-vet talent, and platforms that emphasize vetted experts. Employers often prefer a vetted shortlist and a human recruiter conversation rather than sifting through many online bids.
Regrets and lessons
Adrian admits the convenience of Upwork was addictive: it fit well with introverted developers who can win clients through messages without much networking. But that also meant fewer long-term contacts and referrals. The main lessons he shared:
– Don’t rely on a single marketplace. Diversify lead sources to avoid being “handcuffed” to one channel.
– Build real relationships. Meeting clients, agency owners, and recruiters fosters trust, better rates, recurring work, and recommendations.
– Collect testimonials and outside referrals. Reviews on a platform aren’t the same as names and emails you can use to grow a network.
– Be adaptable. The market shifts — adapt your positioning, services, and outreach channels rather than assuming past pipelines will persist.
How Adrian adapted
Adrian’s income didn’t collapse despite the Upwork drop. He pivoted by pursuing three main approaches:
1) LinkedIn content and outreach — posting insights and engaging with agency owners and potential clients. He got leads and visibility from that effort.
2) Building partnerships with agencies — agencies often need contractors for legacy code fixes or complex builds they can’t handle in-house, and those relationships produced higher-value work.
3) Working with recruiters and temp agencies — cultivating relationships with staffing firms that pre-vet and send relevant projects allowed him to be on shortlists for the right kind of work.
Why the pivot paid off
Adrian found that agency and recruiter-sourced clients often pay better and open doors to longer-term engagements. Those projects create a “long tail” of future work: upgrades, ongoing maintenance, and referrals — the kind of recurring opportunities that one-off Upwork gigs typically don’t deliver. Building that human-facing network takes more time and effort than applying to marketplace listings, but it is more sustainable and scalable in the long run.
Practical takeaways for WordPress professionals
– Diversify lead sources: use multiple platforms, your website, social media (LinkedIn), agency partnerships, and recruiter relationships.
– Invest in relationships: prioritize conversations, proposals, and follow-ups that can turn one-off jobs into recurring work and referrals.
– Collect off-platform testimonials and contactable references you can present to future clients.
– Reframe AI: see it as a productivity gain you can leverage but also be prepared for its market effects. Specialize where human expertise and long-term stewardship matter (complex integrations, legacy systems, enterprise workflows).
– Consider vetted platforms and recruiter channels if you seek higher-complexity, higher-value work rather than transactional gig work.
Where to find Adrian
Adrian is active on LinkedIn and maintains a site at CustomWP.io. His experience is a reminder that marketplaces can be powerful entry points, but long-term resilience comes from relationships, specialization, and adapting how you present and find your work.