Chapter 1 · Practice 2 of 4
Pick a niche you can show evidence for
Why it matters
A niche is a combination of a type of client and a type of problem: "Shopify stores that need custom checkout features", "early-stage SaaS teams that need a dashboard built from their API", "NGOs that need offline-first data collection apps". Narrowing feels risky because you turn away work, but it makes every other part of freelancing easier: your profile is clearer, your portfolio is more relevant, your proposals are faster to write and you can charge more because you have solved the same problem before.
Good niches share three things:
- You have proof: at least one or two projects, even personal ones, that show you can do the work.
- Clients have budget: the problem costs them money, so solving it is worth paying for.
- The problem repeats: many clients have it, so your second project teaches you something for the third.
You do not need to pick forever. Start with a niche for six months, see which projects you win and enjoy, and adjust.
Do
- Write your niche as "I help X do Y"
- Build one sample project in the niche if you have none
Avoid
- Claiming a niche you have never worked in
- Trying to serve every client with every stack