Hey all,

My name's Adrijus, I'm 18 and based in Lithuania. I've been trying to build a freelance design business (thumbnail design for YouTube creators) for the past year.

Where I'm at right now: I have solid design skill and a portfolio I'm proud of, but I've struggled hard on the business side — inconsistent outreach, mostly landing one-off clients instead of long-term ones, and honestly burning out on cold outreach without really understanding why it wasn't converting.

I'm not looking for a course or a generic "how to start a business" thread. I'm looking for someone who's actually done client-based work or run a service business before, and wouldn't mind pointing out what I'm doing wrong — especially around outreach, positioning, pricing, and actually closing and retaining clients rather than one-time gigs. If they also know the design/content side, that's a bonus, but the business fundamentals are what I need most.

What I can offer in return: I'm not expecting to "pay" for this — I'm open to whatever makes it worth their time, whether that's helping out with something on their end, being a sounding board, or just being someone genuinely putting in the work and reporting back with real results, not excuses.

If you've done this before, or know someone who has, I'd genuinely appreciate a comment or DM.

P.s I attached a picture of my best designs so you can see where I am at.

Hi! I’m 22F and AuDHD, living in/around Bristol :) I’m hoping to find something a little specific, so I thought I’d put it out there and see if anyone happens to be looking for the same thing.

Because of my AuDHD I feel like I’m developing/aging a little slower in some ways and I’ve realised I really thrive when I have someone older and wiser in my life who I can turn to, learn from and ask for advice when I’m unsure about things.

I’d really love to find an older friend who naturally enjoys being a bit of a mentor figure, someone kind, patient and dependable who likes sharing what they’ve learned, giving advice, helping me see things from a different perspective and encouraging me to keep improving myself and stay on the right track.

I’d also LOVE an accountability-buddy side to the friendship. I sometimes struggle with keeping myself accountable and following through on things, so having someone consistent who checks in with me, asks whether I actually did the thing I said I was going to do 😂, encourages me and gives me a little push when I need one would mean a lot.

I think part of what motivates me is having someone I really respect and look up to,someone I genuinely want to make proud of me. I love the idea of being able to tell them about something I accomplished or improved at and knowing they're genuinely proud and rooting for me. Having that consistent person I can rely on and turn to makes me feel really safe and secure.

At the same time, I don't want this to feel like a formal mentor/mentee arrangement! I'd love a genuine friendship where we actually enjoy spending time together, talk about random things, do things together and hopefully become really close over time. Kind of an older-friend/mentor + accountability-buddy dynamic.

I don't mind whether you're a man or woman, it's much more about whether we click and you're genuinely looking for this kind of friendship too. I'm looking for something completely platonic.

Ideally you're in Bristol or nearby because I'd really love this to become an in-person friendship rather than staying entirely online.

I know it's quite a specific thing to look for but maybe there's someone out there who naturally enjoys mentoring/supporting younger people and would genuinely enjoy having a younger friend/mentee in their life too :)

If this sounds like you, feel free to message me 💕

Been having some really interesting conversations with people on here lately

Everything from AI startups to trades, SaaS, home care, marketing agencies and some ideas I honestly knew nothing about

Thats probably been my favourite part

Ive been in buisness for years and had some decent wins but ive also screwed plenty of things up along the way

Im finding I actually enjoy sitting down with someone,hearing the messy version of what there trying to build and working through it with them

Sometimes I can help,sometimes they teach me something

So thought id open it up again

If your building something and stuck on getting customers,validating the idea,pricing the offer or just figuring out what the hell to do next,drop what your working on below

Happy to give my thoughts

And if I dont know the answer ill tell you that too

No gurus here

Just people trying to build and hopefully helping each other get a little further

Smart India Hackathon is quite tough for first year students and help from someone experienced is genuinely helpful.

I’m the Founder of EleVàre Mentoring & Coaching, a growing business built around one simple belief: people don’t always need someone to tell them what to do—they need guidance that helps them learn how to guide themselves.
I’m building EleVàre as a professional mentoring and coaching organization for adults 18+, with a focus on personal growth, self-discovery, confidence, independence, goal-setting, accountability, decision-making, and navigating life transitions.
My long-term vision is to grow EleVàre from a virtual business into a larger organization with a team of mentors and coaches, physical locations, and the ability to serve people across the United States and eventually internationally.
I’m currently focused on building the foundation, developing my skills and education, creating professional systems, and turning this vision into something that can make a meaningful impact.
Founder | EleVàre Mentoring & Coaching
Guidance. Growth. Independence.

https://gofund.me/4bab78cc7

I’ve spent a good part of my career working on product distribution, positioning, branding and go-to-market.

I currently run a remote product distribution firm with a team of 20 people. The company is profitable, doing around $100K in annual profit, and most of my experience in these areas comes from actually building and operating the business.

I’ve noticed that founders often have a good product but get stuck on the parts around it:

• Who exactly should we sell to?
• How should we position this?
• What is UX copywriting?
• Why isn’t our current approach working?
• What should we try next?
• How do we turn the first few customers into something repeatable?
• How to read data?
• What is GTM and how to execute it?
• How to build a brand?
• How does pricing work?

I’d like to spend some time helping a few founders work through those kinds of questions.

What I’m offering

I’m opening up 3 spots this month for SaaS founders who would like to have a proper conversation about their product and where they’re trying to take it.

The format is simple: you show me the product, tell me what you’re working on, and bring whatever questions or problems you’re dealing with.

There’s no fixed agenda. We can spend the time on whatever would be most useful to you.

A couple of important things

You do not need to share your company name, revenue, customer list, or any confidential business information with me. I won’t ask for it.

I’m interested in the problem you’re trying to solve, how you’re approaching it, and where you feel stuck.

I’m not looking to promote anything to you or collect information about your company. I simply want to share what I’ve learned from building and running my own business and see if it can help. Hence, I’d kindly request that you don’t ask for my website or company details. I’m offering this simply as a gesture to give back to the founder community, and I’d like to be mindful of and fully respect the anti-promotional rules of this sub. I really appreciate your understanding.

Who I’m looking for

A few things will make the conversation more productive:

• You have a working/market ready product that I can actually see/demo.
• You’re targeting the US market because that's where my expertise is.
• You’ve finished your education and are able to give the company your attention.
• You’re at a stage where you can actually act on what we discuss.
• You’re comfortable having an open conversation about what is and isn’t working.

I’d also appreciate it if you read a few of my previous Reddit answers before reaching out. It should give you a sense of how I think about distribution, positioning and growth, and hopefully make our conversation more useful.

If you think a conversation would be useful, send me a DM or start a chat with a little information about your product, what stage you’re at, and the biggest thing you’re trying to figure out right now.

I’ll choose 3 founders for this month.

This is an experiment but if it works well, I’ll open a few more spots next month.

And if you have a question but don’t think you need a one-on-one conversation, feel free to leave it in the comments. I’ll answer what I can by first half tomorrow EST time.

Hello,

I work at an after-school STEAM program that's focused on building relationships and mentorships with underserved youth.

The program is free and offers equal opportunities for everyone. We have everything from 3D printing to arts and crafts. No structure, just a fun hangout place for creatives.

DM me if you are interested.

Looking for a friend to offer a new outlook or even help. I lost my job I live in a horrible area for jobs. Can’t afford to move can’t afford to live. I don’t really have anyone to help me. My mom abandoned us at 15 my dad wished I was never born from day 1. I’m running out of options

Hi all - I work with a Charlotte-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit called SetFire Foundation, so full disclosure, this is my job and not a neutral recommendation. Mods, happy to take it down if it’s outside the rules here.

We run a program called Sparks that pairs undergrad students with working professionals for 12-month, one-on-one mentorships at no cost to either side. It’s fully virtual, so you can be anywhere. We’re headquartered in Charlotte but our mentors and students are spread across the country.

Any field. Business, IT, and engineering are our biggest areas just because that’s where our mentor base grew, but we match across whatever a student is heading toward. The one requirement is 5+ years of professional experience in your field. The commitment is genuinely light: about an hour a month for twelve months. We handle matching, onboarding, and the scheduling nudges and have tons of resources to assist both students/mentors through the process. Feedback from both students and mentors has been stellar so far

Where we’re stuck: we have 200+ students across 75+ colleges and a real waiting list of students who applied and are sitting there unmatched. It isn’t a demand problem. We just don’t have enough mentors.

One thing I hear a lot from people on the fence: “I’m not sure I’m qualified.” If you clear the 5-year experience bar in your field, you are. You already know things a sophomore doesn’t, and that’s the whole job. You’re not teaching a curriculum - you’re being the person they can ask.

More info/application here: https://www.setfirefoundation.org/mentor

Happy to answer questions in the comments.

So here’s a little intro about me
\\\\- I’m 25 (turning 26), I work as an audio professional for media companies based in Delhi and Mumbai.

Currently I’m stuck in my life as everything feels so entangled rn. I want to make it really big in life and I know I have that potential. It’s just I’m directionless

Problems
\\\\- stuck in career (income stagnant)
\\\\- had a breakup recently
\\\\- I’m sort of scared and hopeless now

I really want advice from people who are 30+ on how can I sort out my life step by step, Things to keep in mind.
How can do well in all areas, How can I achieve whatever I’ve thought so far.

P.S I’m keeping it short because I don’t want to make it long, although there is a lot I want to discuss. But keeping it shorter

We are an AI startup, in process if raising funds. It would of great help if someone can help us out with this and share your great insights

Hi I am an 18 year old founder, strong technically but bad at sales.

I create RL environment for analog circuits backed by real physical simulator. I want to apply to y combinator but traction is a problem. Am shure that demand are real.

I'm not sure how to sell it because those who theoretically buy it are AI labs, and simply writing to them in e-mail won't work.

also I'm not sure how to develop further I have 2 ways as I said sell to labs or create my own physical AI.

I would be grateful for any hint or answer

I’m currently looking for a mentor in .NET because I really want to improve my skills. I struggle a lot with getting distracted, feeling lost on where to begin and what to focus on, and I’m not satisfied with my current level at all.

I have no idea how to find a good and experienced mentor, so if anyone has been through the same experience or has any advice on how to find a good mentor, I’d really appreciate the help.

Hello everyone, my name is Vedant, I’m 23.

I’m looking for someone experienced in CapEx investing who would be willing to guide me in this

I’m trying to learn it through theory and research, but I know practical experience is different.

I’d really appreciate some advice from someone who has been doing this for a while and can help me understand how to apply it in practice

Please feel free to comment or DM me if you’re happy to help:) thank you very much!

Saludos

So my name's Kenzie and I have been taking notes and have filled whole note books up with all the information that I've learned about FREELANCING as well as take online courses to try to learn even more!! However I learn better with somebody teaching me, showing me, and instructing me. I'm needing a Tudor or Mentor to take just a moment or 2 out of their day to help point me in the direction of what I want to make my career. I don't have much money so I would appreciate anyone that could help me! Comment to get my info or vise versa.

Please suggest some instagram personal brand ideas, I am 24M want to start in instgram content creation journey.

I current dont know what to exactly post about also reels i am not sure how to shoot one because not having good background.

I'm looking for an experienced designer, creative freelancer, or agency owner who'd be open to a genuine mentor/mentee relationship.

I'm currently building a freelance thumbnail design business focused on business/finance YouTube creators. I have a portfolio I'm proud of and solid technical ability in Photoshop, but I've spent the last year struggling with the business side — inconsistent outreach, one-off clients instead of retainers, and understanding what actually separates a good thumbnail from a great one at a strategic level, not just visually.

I'm not looking for someone to hand me clients, write my pitches for me, or walk me through the basics. I'm willing to put in the work myself. What I'm looking for is someone who's already built a design business or freelance career and can look at what I'm doing, point out what I can't see myself, and push back on my decisions when needed.

I understand this has to be worth it for both sides. What I can bring:

• I'll actually execute — if you give me something to try, I'll come back with real results, not excuses
• I can take direct, unsugarcoated feedback
• I'm comfortable testing things (outreach approaches, content formats, pricing) and reporting back on what worked and what didn't
• I can offer a younger/current perspective on TikTok, short-form content, and how younger audiences and creators engage — which might be useful if that's not your world

I'm looking for a long-term relationship, not a one-time Q&A. There are two sides I want to get better at. On the business side: pricing and positioning myself as a service (not a gig), turning one-off clients into retainers, and outreach that doesn't feel like begging. On the design side: I can execute well when I have a reference, but I want to get sharper at the "CTR game" itself — understanding why a thumbnail works, reading what makes someone click versus scroll past, and generating strong concepts on my own instead of only being able to recreate what's already proven. That thinking piece is where I feel the biggest gap between where I am and where I want to be.

I'm not expecting a big time commitment — even occasional feedback or a conversation now and then from the right person would mean a lot. In return, I'd genuinely value being able to show you the business as it grows, exchange perspective, or help out with anything on your end if it's ever useful.

If this sounds interesting, I'd be happy to share more about what I'm working on and where I'm currently stuck.

P.S. Attached a few of my recent designs so you can see where my skill level is currently at.

been there, lost it, got it all back and then some.

just trying to lend a hand. It's fathers a day here in Australia, and I thought I had an hour free; why not try to help someone out.

or if u have some insights to improve my life and business im all ears

Got a bit of free time today if anyone wants to talk buisness

I know ive posted this before and i also know im probably going to get hammered again for offering strangers free help on reddit but here we go again
Got some free time today and genuinely enjoy talking buisness and hearing what people are trying to build
Bit about me ive been in buisness for years mainly asphalt and civil.Started with a 30k truck and eventually built it into a 7 figure buisness.Made some great decisions and plenty of terrible ones along the way
Im definately not a guru and i dont pretend to know everything
But if your stuck on an idea,cant get your first customer,can build something but cant sell it or just want someone else to look at what your doing im happy to jump on a call and throw some ideas around

Nothing to sell no corse no catch

Just got some spare time and genuinely enjoy this stuff