Last week, our entire team gathered for an All Hands Meeting to discuss key seasonal updates, evaluate our achievements, and share plans for the future. Here’s a summary of the highlights!

What’s Happening on Upwork?

This season, Upwork has been rather quiet with official updates — almost completely stopping public announcements. The Product Updates page has been shut down, and the promised quarterly reports are nowhere to be found. The only official update remains the outdated news about the Uma chatbot. However, behind the scenes, Upwork has undergone many internal changes:

Client dashboards are now fully integrated with Uma, bringing AI into nearly every process — from candidate recommendations to automated project descriptions.

Algorithm tests are running non-stop, with changes happening every 2-3 weeks. Upwork keeps adding and removing features, creating a chaotic search and ranking system.

Our team has already adapted to this constant “marathon of changes” and keeps profiles and proposals updated regularly, even though the platform's stability remains unpredictable.

What’s Happening at Etcetera?

This winter, we celebrated together, enjoyed warm gatherings, organized a Secret Santa, and had the chance to celebrate five team birthdays .

New Team Members:​

We welcomed Valeria (SMM Specialist) and Alina (Full Stack Developer) to the team! They jumped in with full energy, already handling active projects and proving they’re ready for any challenge

This season, we also said goodbye to three colleagues—Masha, Lyuba, and Pasha. We’re grateful for their contributions and happy they were part of our journey.

Right now, we are 33 team members strong, confidently moving forward!

Sales Funnel

The numbers speak for themselves (check out the photos for full stats), but in short:

Despite the winter holidays, we logged even more hours than in the fall!

  • 38 new contracts were opened this season.
  • A significant increase in new clients—thanks to proactive direct messages, invites, and strategic bidding.

The number of interviews also grew, not because Upwork is becoming more generous, but because our team quickly adapted to the platform’s unpredictable changes. We’ve mastered the art of responding swiftly to unexpected shifts—though, at times, it feels like playing a game without clear rules!

Plans for Spring 2025

Since Skype is shutting down in May, we’re planning a full transition to Discord in April.

With an increase in applications and projects, we’re hiring for multiple new positions! If you’re interested, check out our website here now. Demand for AI-powered solutions is rising, and we’re looking for tech-savvy professionals eager to grow with us.

The upcoming months promise even more exciting projects, growth, and challenges. Stay tuned for updates, and if you’re looking to join an innovative, fast-moving team, now is the time!

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