One of the most common questions new freelancers ask themselves isn’t about pricing, marketing, or finding clients. It’s something much more personal: Am I really good enough to do this?
CodeCrafter recently sent in a question that captures this perfectly: “How do you build confidence to start freelancing when you feel like you’re not expert enough? Do you develop your portfolio first? Do you just start on Fiverr or Upwork? Do you fake it till you make it?”
If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re experiencing what’s known as imposter syndrome—and you’re definitely not alone. Even seasoned freelancers and agency owners struggle with these feelings. But here’s the truth: you don’t need to be the world’s foremost expert to build a successful freelance business.
Key Takeaways from this Episode:
You don’t need to be the best in the world—just good enough to solve your clients’ problems and more knowledgeable than they are in your area of expertise.
Combat imposter syndrome by documenting your process, narrowing your focus to what you do best, and completing a few discounted projects to build confidence.
Instead of “fake it till you make it,” try “learn it while you earn it”—take on projects within your skillset and expand your knowledge as you go.
Reframe What “Expert Enough” Really Means
The first mindset shift you need to make is understanding that clients aren’t always looking for the absolute best person in the world. Think about it—99.999% of professionals aren’t in the top 1% of their field. That’s just math.
Clients consider multiple factors when deciding who to hire, including customer service quality, turnaround time, time zone compatibility, communication style, portfolio diversity, and yes, expertise. But expertise is just one piece of the puzzle.
Your clients aren’t looking for someone who knows everything. They’re looking for someone who can solve their specific problems—problems they can’t solve themselves. And that’s the key: you don’t need to be light years ahead of everyone. You just need to be a few rungs higher on the ladder than your clients.
Understanding the Expertise Gap
Remember that your clients are experts in their own businesses, but they likely know very little about your area of specialization. If you’re a coder, your clients probably don’t understand the intricacies of programming. They’re not judging you against other developers—they’re judging you against their own limited knowledge.
This is what we call the curse of knowledge. Once you know something, it’s hard to remember what it was like not to know it. You’ve forgotten how much you actually know compared to someone who’s never done what you do.
Your job isn’t to be the world’s greatest expert. Your job is to bridge that gap between what your client knows and what they need to accomplish.
Practical Ways to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
Feeling like an imposter is natural, but there are concrete steps you can take to build genuine confidence:
**Complete a few projects at a discount.** If you’re brand new, do two or three real projects for clients—not spec work, but actual deliverables. Charge a fair but discounted rate, or even do pro bono work if necessary. Deliver quality work and get positive feedback. This real-world validation will show you that yes, you can actually do this.
**Document your process.** Write down everything you do when delivering a project. This serves two purposes: First, it helps you realize just how much you actually do for your clients. Second, it creates a historical archive you can look back on to see your improvement over time. A year from now, you’ll look back and think, “Wow, I’ve gotten so much better.”
**Narrow your focus.** You’re going to feel like an imposter if you’re trying to sell services you’re not truly great at. If you’re a videographer, don’t also try to sell graphic design, photography, and social media marketing. Sell what you’re genuinely skilled at. You’ll feel more credible, more authentic, and more confident when you’re working in your actual area of strength.
**Track your wins.** Keep a file of positive client feedback, successful project outcomes, and problems you’ve solved. When imposter syndrome strikes, review this evidence that you’re actually good at what you do.
Learn It While You Earn It
Instead of “fake it till you make it,” try this instead: **learn it while you earn it.**
Here’s what this looks like in practice: A client approaches you with a project. You have the foundational knowledge—maybe 50-75% of what you need to complete the project successfully. Instead of turning it down because you don’t feel expert enough, you take it on and learn the remaining 25-50% as you go.
This is called on-demand learning, and it’s incredibly valuable. You’re not faking your foundation—that’s real. You’re just expanding your skillset to meet the specific needs of this project. Clients actually appreciate freelancers who are flexible enough to stretch and learn rather than rigidly staying within narrow confines.
Obviously, you wouldn’t take on something completely outside your realm. A web developer shouldn’t suddenly take on interior design projects. But taking on a coding project that requires you to learn a new framework or language feature? That’s entirely reasonable and actually beneficial for your growth.
You Have Permission
If you’re looking for permission to start your freelance business even though you don’t feel expert enough, here it is: You have permission.
You don’t need to be the best in the world. You don’t need to know everything. You just need to be able to solve problems for your clients—problems they can’t solve on their own.
Imposter syndrome is real, and even experienced freelancers and agency owners feel it. But feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you are one. It often just means you’re pushing yourself to grow, which is exactly what you should be doing.
Moving Forward with Confidence
Remember these key principles as you build your freelance business:
**Clients value more than expertise.** Communication, reliability, customer service, and problem-solving all matter just as much as technical skill.
**Relative expertise is enough.** You don’t need to be the world’s best—just better equipped to solve the problem than your client is.
**Confidence comes from action.** The more projects you complete, the more you’ll realize you actually can do this. Start small if you need to, but start.
**Focus on what you’re genuinely good at.** Don’t spread yourself thin trying to offer every service under the sun. Double down on your strengths.
Imposter syndrome may never fully disappear, but it doesn’t have to stop you from building a successful freelance business. Take action, document your progress, and remember that every expert started exactly where you are now—feeling like they weren’t expert enough.
The difference between them and you? They started anyway.
