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Compare what you'd actually take home on three freelance platforms

Practice: Catching mistakes and made-up facts. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You're quoting a $2,000 design project and could run it through one of 3 platforms. You want exactly 3 numbered lines, one per platform, each showing the math from $2,000 to your take-home after all fees (like "$2,000 - $200 - $25 = $1,775"), then a final line "Highest:". Use each platform's current fees from your notes and only those numbers, plain text, nothing else.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using the old fee. Workloom's 10% is listed first, and the AI may miss the Oct 1 update. Try: Say: "Use each platform's current fees, including updates."
  • Counting a forum rumor. The forum says CraftHire waives its fee, and the AI may take it off. Try: Add: "Use only fees confirmed in my notes."
  • Not showing the math. The AI gives totals without the steps, so you can't spot a missed fee. Try: Say: "Show each fee being subtracted from $2,000."
  • Getting advice. The AI weighs your client relationship instead of just the numbers. Try: Say: "Output only the 3 lines and Highest."
  • Not saying how many. The AI decides the length itself and usually returns more lines, one per platform than you can use. Try: Be exact: "exactly 3 numbered lines, one per platform."
  • Getting markdown back. AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in your pricing notes. Try: Ask for "plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Asks for take-home pay
  • Asks to show the math
  • Uses current fees
  • Says exactly how many
  • Asks for plain text

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