The Beginning of a Journey
Disoft is a small software development agency with a strong foundation in building full-cycle custom solutions across the medical, education, and telecommunications industries. For years, the company operated primarily as a product-focused business. But like many development firms, they saw Upwork as a promising new channel to diversify revenue and build a presence in the global freelance economy.
Two years ago, Disoft opened an agency account on Upwork, hopeful but uncertain. They quickly found themselves lost in the noise of the platform. With no clear strategy, limited experience navigating Upwork's algorithms, and almost no responses to their proposals, the early results were disappointing. Their team shifted focus back to product development — Upwork, it seemed, was not worth the effort.
We opened our agency on Upwork two years ago, but didn’t manage to succeed. That’s why we shifted our focus back to product development — until GigRadar came into the picture.
Everything changed when Kate Dmytrenko, Disoft’s COO, discovered GigRadar. She attended one of their Zoom sessions, focused on optimizing Upwork profiles. There, she was introduced to the Growth Management Program. The practical, no-nonsense nature of the session stood out — and so did the opportunity.
Rethinking the Foundation
It became immediately clear to Kate that the team needed not just tools, but guidance — someone who understood the inner workings of Upwork and could help build a strategy from the ground up. After years of manual effort that led nowhere, GigRadar’s structured approach offered a much-needed reset.
One of the core problems was a lack of tracking. Disoft had no CRM in place, no way of understanding why deals failed, and no method to follow up with leads effectively. GigRadar suggested implementing HubSpot and supported the team in connecting Upwork via webhook. Disoft then built their own lightweight integration, mimicking a Zapier-like system to push lead data into their CRM automatically.
Together with their GigRadar advisor, they developed a lead pipeline tailored to the Upwork sales process — from the initial reply to qualification, requirement gathering, negotiation, and offer stages, with defined “loss reasons” for each point. This gave the agency a complete picture of where their deals were breaking down and allowed them to prioritize efforts where they would have the highest impact.
Now we’re able to follow up with leads in an organized way. It increased productivity and gave us a better understanding of which jobs to prioritize.
Turning Profiles Into Lead Magnets
A major obstacle holding Disoft back was their Upwork profile strategy — or lack thereof. Most profiles were empty or poorly filled out, with no specialized sections, weak descriptions, and minimal visibility in search results. Despite having skilled developers, their profiles lacked the credibility and structure needed to compete.
GigRadar provided hands-on help in rewriting profile content, choosing the right skills, and crafting individual specialized profiles for specific technologies. They also guided the team in conducting manual skill research — not relying on assumptions or templates, but selecting skill tags based on data and competition analysis.
The result was transformative. Even though the profiles weren’t Top Rated, didn’t have Plus status, and had minimal earnings, their optimized content and structure helped Disoft rise to the top of local search rankings. For the $20–$30/hour category, they began appearing among the top Croatian agencies — and for the first time, invitations started coming in.
The team also enabled Upwork Profile Boosts, added visually striking animated profile pictures, and worked closely with GigRadar to understand how the platform's algorithm rewards specialization and completeness.
From Silence to $30,000 Contracts
With improved visibility and a better understanding of client needs, the results began to follow. The 3D Modeling team secured several new projects. Their React Native developers closed a long-term deal valued at $30,000. More importantly, they began to consistently receive replies, engage in meaningful conversations with clients, and build a repeatable process for winning work.
Our whole perception of Upwork communication changed. I think it gave us more confidence — we knew what to say, how to say it, and how to follow up.
For the first time, the Disoft team was confident in their proposals. They refined their approach to writing cover letters, focusing less on volume and more on personalization. They learned to qualify opportunities better, making smart decisions about where to spend their connects. And they finally had clarity — not just about what to do, but why it worked.
A Culture Shift Driven by Systems
Beyond tools and tactics, what GigRadar brought to Disoft was structure. Instead of reacting to jobs and guessing what might work, the agency now operates with a system that tracks, learns, and evolves. KPIs like Lead Reply Rate became part of regular reporting. Cover letters are reviewed and improved based on outcomes. The CRM is not just a database, but a feedback loop.
This cultural shift — from hopeful improvisation to deliberate strategy — has made all the difference. Disoft is now positioned to scale their Upwork presence, and their current results are only the beginning.
Final Thoughts
What Disoft’s story illustrates is how even technically skilled teams can struggle on platforms like Upwork without the right guidance. Talent alone isn’t enough — without a strategy, visibility, and automation, it's easy to burn through time and budget with little to show for it.
Thanks to GigRadar, Disoft turned a platform that once felt like a dead end into a reliable source of high-value contracts and a scalable client acquisition channel.
If your agency is facing similar challenges — low replies, poor visibility, or a lack of process — take the next step. GigRadar’s Growth Management Program isn’t just about tools. It’s about transforming how your team approaches Upwork — with structure, insight, and confidence.
