I would like to find companies that are trying to outsource their projects to external firms/contractors who bid on a project basis (rather than hourly).
I assume that these types of contracts are only done through personal relationships. Could someone provide more info?
A lot go through some marketplace like Upwork, but contractors usually get the worst deals there, because you're competing with a lot of others.
80% of my contracts came from two people. One was an early stage VC, the other ran an agency that did design but didn't do code. So instead of building relationships, just piggyback on those whose full time roles are doing it, but won't compete with you. Focus on being the best at your work and people should search for you.
Lost a job to outsourcing and set my career back at least 5 years.