1. The access collection black hole You need Figma access, Google Analytics, WordPress admin, GitHub, and the client's Slack. You ask. They forward a password email from two years ago. You ask again. Their developer says they'll get back to you. Three days pass. The fix: Send a single, complete access list on Day 1 — not "we'll need some access" but the exact list, with specifics for each tool,
This is the follow-up to What I Actually Learned Building a Side Project in 5 Days With AI. That post was about AI. This one is about what happens after you ship — when you actually have to run the thing. I lost a freelance client last year because I forgot to send a monthly report. Not because I didn't do the work. I did the work. I just never wrote it down in a place I'd actually look. The repor