a buddy told me about these platforms where clients post drone jobs and pilots bid on them or get matched up, i think there's a few of them out there. curious if anyone here has actually used them and whether they're worth signing up for or if its just a race to the bottom situation where everyone undercuts each other and the platform takes a big cut anyway.

im mostly doing photography and video right now, got decent equipment, the Mini 4 Pro and also a Mavic 3 Classic that i use for paid work. part 107 certified. just feel like i hit a wall with finding clients through word of mouth and instagram and wanted to try something different but dont want to waste time on something that doesnt pan out.

tried one of the bigger ones a couple years back and honestly my experience was mixed. you do get access to jobs you wouldnt find otherwise which is nice, but the margins are rough once the platform takes their percentage. and yeah the bidding thing attracts people who will do a job for basically nothing which is frustrating when you have real costs to cover — insurance, equipment, your time driving out there etc.

that said i did land a few decent recurring clients through it who eventually just started hiring me directly which is kind of the move if you can pull it off. use the platform to make the initial connection then build the relationship outside of it. some platforms explicitly say thats against their terms so just be aware of that.

i think for someone in your position its worth trying just to see whats out there in your area. some markets have way more job postings than others. dont expect it to be your main source of work though, treat it more like one tool in the toolbox.

the race to the bottom thing is real, wont sugarcoat it. saw a real esate job in my area posted for like $75 which is insane when you factor in drive time and editing. but i think if you specialize in something a bit more technical or niche you can filter out a lot of that noise, clients looking for that kind of work generally know they have to pay more and aren't gonna hire the cheapest guy.