# The Frilo Journey > Markdown twin of https://www.frilo.io/writing/frilo-journey. Design: https://www.frilo.io/design.md · Index: https://www.frilo.io/llms.txt A short story on grit and hope URL: https://www.frilo.io/writing/frilo-journey A personal account of how Frilo evolved from a personal proejct to a global creative network, navigating the pandemic and finding our place in the digital economy. ## The Vision > "A country starts out from a name and a flag, and then it becomes them." > Johann Van Goethe Frilo started as a vision for a decentralized creative network - a hub for freelancers to find gigs, connect, and collaborate on multidisciplinary projects for clients worldwide. The core idea was to build a commission-free platform where designers, copywriters, videographers, creators, and artists of multiple disciplines could showcase their work, respond to briefs, and get paid directly for delivering high-quality work. ## The Beginning The idea began in 2019 as a closed project with about 20 handpicked creative profiles who started inviting their colleagues. We were building the foundation of a creative ecosystem that would soon prove value in the most unexpected manner. ## The Pandemic Opportunity As the pandemic hit and agencies worldwide started laying off their staff, Frilo was flooded with applications from professional creatives across Latin America - Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and many other countries. Simultaneously, clients worldwide began submitting briefs organically as their in-house teams were reduced and marketing departments had to find creative ways to commission work. ## Technical Implementation I built and managed the operation through a Webflow dashboard and implemented numerous automations to maintain clear communication between clients, projects, and collaborators. The technical infrastructure was crucial to scaling operations efficiently while maintaining quality across all deliverables. ## Global Reach We shipped products, brands, websites, and advertising campaigns to clients in the US, UK, Australia, Spain, Uruguay, New Zealand, Paraguay, and many more countries. The remote-first approach allowed us to connect global talent with global opportunities regardless of location. ## Acquisition Strategy Our main acquisition channel was surprisingly simple yet incredibly effective - a minimalist landing page showcasing our services, distributed primarily through Behance. The platform's creative community proved to be the perfect audience for our offering, generating a steady stream of both talent and client inquiries. The landing page focused on clear value propositions and straightforward service categories. This no-frills approach resonated well with potential clients who were looking for reliable creative solutions during uncertain times. ## Growth Metrics 2020 brought tremendous growth: 90+ projects, almost 600 creative signups, and around $40,000 of value distributed across 120 freelancers. All operations were managed through an Airtable database that became the backbone of our workflow. ## Business Pivot 2021 maintained the pace, but the administrative overhead was becoming expensive. I made then the decision to pivot the model by focusing on three verticals - web, brand, and product - with clear pricing structures. This strategic shift meant letting go of many clients and retaining just a select few who paid monthly retainers to keep working on their products. We closed the year with a similar profitability, a core network of around 10-15 freelancers, and a loyal client base. ## The Transition I made the difficult decision to officially shut down operations in January 2022 to join Wonderstruck's mission. The leap came from a need for change and a desire to focus on an industry I deeply care about. The transition felt like coming full circle - sharing space with people building distributed systems, decentralized economies, and equal opportunities was an exciting new project to pursue. ## Reflection Frilo was an incredible experience. The value created, the satisfied clients, and the ability to counter the struggling advertising industry during the pandemic by connecting underutilized talent with budget-conscious companies created a meaningful impact. The marketplace we built between talented creatives and companies that needed to keep their lights on felt like a massive win, even though it eventually had to sunset to allow me to focus on the next chapter. Frilo never really ended — it just got smaller. Today it lives on as my one-person studio and as this site. Everything I learned back then — building a creative network from scratch, running remote teams, adapting when the market shifts — still shapes how I design and work today.