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Expected value per bid
Free tool · Bid economics
What does a bid really cost you?
Every proposal costs connects and — the part everyone forgets — your time. Put in your real numbers and see the expected value of a bid, how many bids one win takes, and what each win actually costs.
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Bids per win
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True cost per win
Your time is the big cost
Thirty minutes at $60/hr is $30 per proposal before you've spent a single connect. The calculator prices it in; most freelancers never do.
Reply rate runs the show
Doubling your reply rate halves your cost per win. It's worth more than any change to connects, rates, or volume — which is why proposals matter.
Know when NOT to bid
If the expected value is negative at your honest numbers, more bidding digs the hole faster. Fix the inputs first, then spend.
The fastest way to improve this math: bid on better jobs.
AgentScout scores every AI-agent and automation gig 1–10 so you only spend bids on postings worth winning — and its researched, drafted proposals lift the reply rate that drives everything above. First 20 lock Pro at $8/mo for life.
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