The monthly list of companies that hire freelancers and contractors
So you can spend your time building relationships that actually turn into work
Leave your email for early access and early-bird pricing
How do I know they're worth your time?
Because every company on the list is currently working — or has very recently worked — with freelancers or contractors.
And companies only keep spending money on things that continue to work for them.
Demo list showing a sample of dummy data
🤫 This is exactly how contract recruiters find new clients
Most companies may never hire externally, so recruiters don't waste time guessing.They “strip” your CV/resume for recent clients to target proven buyers who already:
1.
Know the value of freelancers and contractors
2.
Allocate budgets to using them as a solution
3.
Structurally and culturally know how to work with them
I apply the same logic to help you stack the odds in your favour. Using only publicly available information.
🧭 The market map of companies that hire externally and are still small enough to engage decision-makers directly
Get a new list of companies you should know about in your inbox on the 1st of each month.
With all the information you need to act.
| What you get | How to use it |
|---|---|
| 🏢 Company information Website, description, domain, headcount, locations, tech stack, etc. | ✅ To decide quickly if a company is relevant and of interest to you |
| 👥 Freelancer/contractor history Who they work(ed) with, how recently, for how long, for which positions, on what scope, what it says about the company | ✅ To use their historical external hiring patters to judge whether a company is likely to hire for your skillset, for what kind of work and for how long |
| 🧑💻 Team composition and working locations Where they’re over or under-staffed, new hires, recent leavers, where team members or departments are based, known remote work policies | ✅ To spot gaps, stretched teams, or upcoming pressure points and whether you might be in a position to help |
| 🪧 Hiring activity Open roles, how much attention they’re getting, flexibility indicators for in-house roles, known recently unfilled roles | ✅ To know if they’re actively trying to fill a gap, how much competition there is, and where seemingly “permanent” roles may still have flexibility for freelancers/contractors |
| 💸 Budget indicators Fundraising amounts and timelines, revenue mentions, available growth metrics, big contracts/clients/partnerships announcements, etc. | ✅ To give you confidence teams have (or will soon have) the ability to pay for your services |
| 📡 Engagement signals Upcoming launches, visible weaknesses, recent activity, likely problems, whether they’re in a noisy or quiet period, etc. | ✅ To help you anchor your conversations around real company activity, problems, or initiatives rather than generic outreach and to help judge the timing of your approach |
| 👤 Key people and decision-makers Selected LinkedIn profiles for founders, department heads or leads, talent team, key peers | ✅ To help you know the right people to engage and connect with, in the right order, increasing your chances of being seen and remembered when needs arise |
| 🚨 Activity updates [on the roadmap] Everything above is point-in-time information when the list is sent. Additional, on-going activity updates are coming next | ✅ To know about the changes that lead to new opportunities, without having to constantly re-research the same companies and keep track yourself |
Leave your email for early access and early-bird pricing
💬 FAQs
Who’s this for?
This is for independent freelancers and contractors who think long-term and know that consistent, high-quality work comes from relationships, not short-term selling. It works best for experienced individuals who can confidently engage decision-makers around the value they bring.The research focuses on companies hiring individuals directly, so it’s less suited to traditional agencies or recruiters. The goal is genuine, peer-level relationship building — not high-volume outreach.
Is this a job board?
No. This isn’t about reacting to open roles.Many companies on the list won’t even be actively hiring. The value is knowing who they are before they need you, so you can engage early, build familiarity, and stay top of mind when timing and budget align.Think of it as future-facing market awareness, not a list of vacancies.
Who are you and how do you know this works?
For years, I’ve helped independent tech freelancers win clients, both within a small collective and through building my own.This list is built on two patterns I’ve seen repeatedly, and that contract recruiters understand well:1. You’re far more likely to win work from companies that already hire externally than from those who need convincing.2. It’s far easier when they come to you because you built the relationship before the need was urgent.
Why can’t I just do this myself?
You can, but the signal isn’t always obvious and the process takes time.I do the research and filtering for you, so you can focus on client delivery, sharpening your offer, professional development and building relationships. Not detective work.
Won’t subscribers be competing for the same companies?
Not in practice, because this isn’t a race.The value comes from how and when you engage. Two people can approach the same company and have completely different outcomes, and being on the right radar early isn’t zero-sum.I also don't do high-volume marketing. I share it deliberately, one-to-one, with people I believe will use it thoughtfully.
How many companies are in each month’s list?
This isn’t built for high-volume outreach. You don’t need hundreds of companies you’ll never meaningfully engage.Each month is deliberately sized: focused enough to build real relationships, broad enough to give you meaningful options. The goal is a sustainable, relationship-led pipeline over time.
I already get inbound opportunities, so why do I need this?
That’s ideal. Inbound is what we all want. But it’s unpredictable and often misaligned.This helps you be intentional about where future work comes from. Instead of reacting to whoever shows up in your inbox, you build visibility and relationships with teams you’d actually want to work with.
I’m already working with a client, so why would I use this now?
That’s exactly when it’s most useful.The best work comes from pipeline built ahead of time, when you’re not under pressure. This lets you create optionality in the background, making future work is more predictable and lined up before your current contract ends, reducing the risk of non-chargeable days, weeks, or even months.
How much does it cost to subscribe?
Pricing will be shared when the first release is ready and will be monthly.As a reference point, landing just a few billable days from this would more than cover a full year’s access.And if you sign up for early access, you'll be offered early-bird pricing.
Privacy Notice
This privacy notice explains how I (Fred Altman, trading as Found by Fred) collect, use, and protect your information when you interact with this service — whether you’re a founder, hiring manager, or candidate featured in the newsletter.
What data I collect
For founders and hiring teams: your name, company, role, email address, and any information you share about hiring needs or referral terms.
For talent: your name, role, experience, and preferences — which are anonymized before being shared with newsletter subscribers.
How I use your data
To feature anonymized profiles in the Found by Fred newsletter and Notion list shared only with subscribers.
To facilitate introductions between founders and candidates who’ve agreed to connect.
To manage communication, invoices, and success fee agreements where relevant.
Who can see your data
Newsletter subscribers (founders and hiring managers) see anonymized talent profiles only.
No personal information is shared without explicit permission from the individual.
I never sell, rent, or share your data with third parties for marketing.
Your rights
You can request access to, correction of, or deletion of your data at any time by emailing [email protected]
If you’ve been featured and want to be removed from the Notion list, I’ll take you down within 48 hours.
Storage and retention
Data is stored securely in Airtable, Notion, and ConvertKit, with access restricted to me only.
I retain data only as long as necessary for the purposes described above.