Novba

I built an AI that tells freelancers they're leaving

$50K/year on the table — here's why I did it

Six months ago I was talking to a Lagos-based UI designer

friend of mine. Talented guy. 5 years experience. Clients

in the US and UK. He was charging $25/hour.

I looked up what US companies were paying for the same

skill level on the same platforms. $65-95/hour.

He was leaving over $70,000 a year behind — not because

his work wasn't good enough, but because he had no data.

Nobody told him. He just guessed, compared himself to

other local freelancers doing the same thing, and stayed

stuck.

That conversation is why I built Novba.

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The problem isn't unique to Nigeria. Most freelancers

globally undercharge. But it's especially brutal in

emerging markets where you have world-class talent

operating on local pricing psychology.

I didn't want to build just another invoicing tool.

There are 50 of those. I wanted to build the thing that

actually changes what a freelancer earns.

So Novba has an AI Pricing Coach built in. It analyzes

your service type, experience, and the market to tell

you specifically if you're undercharging — and by how

much. Then it gives you the tools to act on it:

proposals, contracts, invoices, payment plans, cash

flow forecasting, portfolio pages. The full stack.

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Where we are today:

- Live at usenovba.com

- Free plan available, Pro at $15/month

- First 100 users get Pro free forever (founding member

access — about 60 spots left)

- Built on Next.js + Node/Express

- Solo founder, bootstrapped, building in public

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What I'd love from this community:

1. Honest feedback on the product — what's missing,

what's confusing, what would make you switch from

whatever you use now

2. If you're a freelancer or know freelancers — try it.

The founding member spots won't last.

3. If you've solved the "how do I get my first 100 users"

problem — I'm all ears.

Building this from Lagos. Trying to eat with the best.

Let's go.

→ usenovba.com