When you are new to freelancing, your profile has no reviews and no proven track record, which makes it hard to compete with people who have been doing this for years. One common advice is to take lower-paying jobs at the start just to build up some feedback and show clients you can deliver. It sounds reasonable in theory, but it can also create a pattern that is hard to break out of later. I want to know if starting cheap actually helps in the long run or if it just teaches clients to expect lower rates from you.