The problem is platforms like Upwork get saturated, and the ability for a quality Dev to stand out is low (many times clients undervalue the work or the work is too small to be worth it).
There are typically 2 types of Devs - the ones who just want to work on challenging Dev work and get paid well, and those who want to run a business. Many of the best Devs imo don't want to run a business and don't want the hassle of finding a few days work here and there constantly. Upwork requires effort to market and organise work. The Devs who want a few days here and there are never the highest quality developer. The best freelancers want long term contracts on actual challenging work.
I work at a boutique high end Dev consulting company in Australia, and happy to chat further if you'd like
The problem is platforms like Upwork get saturated, and the ability for a quality Dev to stand out is low (many times clients undervalue the work or the work is too small to be worth it).
There are typically 2 types of Devs - the ones who just want to work on challenging Dev work and get paid well, and those who want to run a business. Many of the best Devs imo don't want to run a business and don't want the hassle of finding a few days work here and there constantly. Upwork requires effort to market and organise work. The Devs who want a few days here and there are never the highest quality developer. The best freelancers want long term contracts on actual challenging work.
I work at a boutique high end Dev consulting company in Australia, and happy to chat further if you'd like