Archetype 4 of 6
The Rising Graduate
You just finished college and you'd rather eat glass than spend the next 5 years in a cubicle.
For: 22–25 year-olds who don't want a corporate job — and shouldn't.
"My friends got Deloitte / Wipro / Accenture offers. I have a portfolio of 6 freelance design projects and ₹40k in my account. My parents think I'm lost. I just don't want to be a cog at 22."
Signs this is you
- You already do paid freelance work on Upwork / Fiverr / Instagram DMs.
- Your college placement cell calls you "non-committal".
- You explain to relatives 11 times what you do and still nobody gets it.
- You don't have 6 months of runway and your parents don't have a safety net for you.
The honest truth
Your two superpowers are time and tolerance for risk. Spend the first year stacking case studies and reputation, not chasing high prices. By 24 you can charge 3x what a 28-year-old salaried professional with the same skills earns.
Your 90-day plan
- 1Weeks 1–4: Pick ONE niche (drop the 6-services menu). Build 3 spec projects + a public portfolio.
- 2Weeks 5–8: 50 cold DMs / week to founders in your niche. Aim for 10 reply, 3 calls, 1 paid trial.
- 3Weeks 9–12: First retainer client (₹15–30k/month). Repeat every 30 days until you have 4.
- 4Year 1 goal: ₹6–10L revenue. Year 2: ₹15–25L. Skip the corporate ladder entirely.
Your three-tier rate card
Starter
₹3–8k / one-off
First 5 clients — portfolio bait
Standard
₹15–30k / month retainer
Month 4 onwards
Premium
₹50k+ / month retainer
Year 2 — when you have 6+ case studies
The biggest pitfall
Charging ₹500/hour for years because "I'm just starting". Underpricing at 22 trains the market to underpay you at 30. Charge for outcomes, not your age.
Ready to do this?
The 12-week batch takes you through the full 90-day plan with Captain on every session.