Real-time freelancer marketplace with per-second billing

Hacker News

Share card

Real-time freelancer marketplace with per-second billing

Hi HN! I'm launching Gigs.Quest, a platform where startups can hire freelancers instantly through live video rooms. Problem: Traditional freelancing platforms are slow. You post a job, wait for proposals, interview candidates, negotiate rates, then finally start work. For quick tasks, this is overkill. Solution: Create a room, describe what you need, and qualified talent joins live within 5-12 minutes. Collaborate via HD video and screen sharing. Pay per second ($0.02/sec = $72/hr). All sessions recorded. Why this works: • For startups: Get immediate help without hiring overhead • For freelancers: Monetize expertise without bidding/proposals • Trust: All sessions recorded, transparent earnings, Stripe-backed payments Real use cases from beta: • Debugging production outage (saved 3 hours vs hiring process) • Quick design mockup review (12 min session, $14 cost) • Architecture consultation for new feature (45 min, $54) Tech details: • Pre-authorization holds that scale (start at $5, double at 80% usage) • LiveKit for video infrastructure • Convex for real-time database • Stripe Connect for instant payouts Challenges I'm working on: 1. Quality control (how to prevent low-quality participants?) 2. Discovery (how do freelancers find rooms?) 3. Pricing (is $72/hr the right rate?) I'd love feedback from both sides of the marketplace. What am I missing? Live at: https://gigs.quest