Startup Stories:

Contra

A new kind of professional network

Ben Huffman, CEO and Cofounder

Gajus Kuizinas, CTO and Cofounder

👋 An Intro from Gajus

Contra's co-founder story is sometimes confused with a Match.com ad. ❤️

I got a text message from this guy to meet him at the Jane on Filmore. I arrived and was looking for a tall, dark and handsome guy. We shared a meal and discussed our dreams.

The reason for me coming to SF matched with what @ben_huffman was building. I wanted to match engineers with opportunities in great companies based on who they've worked with in the past.

Ben had a grander vision of a future where people's work relationships shape their online professional identify and unlock new opportunities. When we realized that our goals were aligned we've committed to building this together.

From there on we'd meet every morning, share breakfast, brainstorm on the whiteboard (very old school I know), work together, & take long walks way past sunset. Our friendship grew stronger and so did our conviction about the size of the opportunity. And once we realized how big this thing could be, we started recruiting our engineering, design, community team, ... all around the idea of giving everyone the freedom and opportunity to work independently.

We've since moved to SF permanently. We've hired a ton of extraordinarily talented & caring people. We've raised. We've built an amazing technology stack.

With this release, we are giving people the tools to describe their proudest career moments, publicly thank the people with whom they’ve worked with, and begin accepting inquiries for future opportunities.

This is the first Contra drop of many that will shape the new pr*fessional n*twork for your independent journey.

💛

✨ Contra for independents

💰 Get paid commission-free

You did all the work, so you keep all the money. Contra is commission-free, always.

Contra currently supports US-based bank + credit and global USDC crypto payouts. More payment methods coming soon!

😎 Find your next opportunity

🏦 Manage contracts and payments

Automatically create contracts and seamlessly manage payments in one place, all for free.

🖤 Consolidate your identity

Set up your project-based profile in minutes and start accepting inquiries for your work.

Stand out from the crowd with client recommendations and unique services.

💼 Contra for independent hiring

🤙 Invite your freelancers

Manage all your Independents with short and long-term projects. Onboard current hires on Contra in minutes.

🤝 Get matches for your opportunity

Tell us about your project and we’ll match you with the perfect Independent for your needs.

😍 Discover your perfect hire

🏆 Success Stories

📝 The State of Independence

10,000+ independents were surveyed!

Every independent surveyed earns at least $70k+ annually, and works worldwide in design, engineering, product, writing, content marketing, or social media.

Download the full in-depth report for even more insights into the future of work.

The future of work is flexible.

Build your career around the life you want.