Skill Arbitrage Blog

This article is for Indian freelancers who want to attract dream clients without cold DMs, fake engagement, or soul-crushing outreach. You will learn how to turn X Lists into a stealth CRM that helps you quietly build familiarity, show up with strategic timing, and stay top-of-mind with the right people. By the end, you won’t chase clients. They’ll already know who you are.

Previously on Superfan Audits…

Savitha thought she was just venting about a perfume. Raja showed her she was holding a pitch. By turning obsession into insight, she didn’t need research. She was the research.

Now…

Raja shows her how to track decision-makers without sucking up, build quiet familiarity, and pitch when trust is already built. All through an often-ignored X (formerly Twitter) feature.

(Continued…)

Raja watched Savitha stir her coffee like it had insulted her ancestors. She looked wiped. Not her usual sharp-tongued menace. He tilted his head, squinting.

“So,” he said, his voice light and teasing, “what’s been draining all your charm lately?”

She sighed. Half-laughed. “Joined this networking thing. Thought it’d help after quitting Yamini Skinworks. But it’s just… 6 a.m. meetings, weirdly intense one-on-ones, and everyone fake-smiling through their elevator pitch.”

Raja raised an eyebrow. “And you? Fake-smiling back?”

She smirked, tired. “Please. I’m barely conscious. I sip their terrible coffee, nod at buzzwords, and leave with… exactly what I came in with. A lighter wallet.”

He leaned back, watching her. “You? Trapped in a room full of name-tagged hustle bros? That’s almost immoral.”

She chuckled, rubbing her forehead like she was trying to massage the regret out. “I thought it’d give me leads. All it’s given me is migraines and small talk trauma. There was a guy last week who pitched crypto toothpaste. No, I didn’t ask.”

Raja leaned in, voice dropping like he was about to reveal a conspiracy. “You know there’s a better way, right?”

Savitha looked up, wary. “Don’t say cold emails.”

He grinned. “Worse.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not about to say X.”

“Oh, I absolutely am,” he said, eyes doing that annoying glint thing.

“You mean the app where everyone’s debating oat milk and flexing their Notion setups?”

“Yep,” Raja nodded, sipping casually. “But it’s not noise if you know how to listen. X isn’t just social. It’s leverage. You can flirt with your dream clients in public. Add value. Get seen. And you don’t have to wake up at dawn.”

Savitha raised an eyebrow. “So I just post a tweet and poof—clients?”

He grinned again. “Not magic. But close. It’s idea-flirting. Timing. You show up. You drop something useful. You keep showing up. And slowly… you build your own table. No waiting around for invites.”

She studied him for a beat. “So you’re saying I can ditch the pre-dawn cult meetups… and still land real work?”

He nodded. “And look better doing it.”

She smiled. The first real one that morning. Maybe all week. “Fine. Teach me your ways, oh charming internet wizard.”

Raja raised his cup and tapped hers. “Welcome to the game.”

1. X Lists: Freelancers’ lightweight CRM

They stepped out of the café into that late-morning Chennai sun. The kind that acts helpful but mostly just glares. The breeze? There, technically. But mostly for vibes.

Savitha adjusted her tote bag like it had something to say. Still chewing on what Raja had just dropped.

“Okay,” she said, squinting into the light. “You’re telling me I can stop going to those culty networking sessions and just… tweet?”

Raja grinned. That smug kind that made her want to roll her eyes and listen. “Not just tweet. Strategize. Set traps.”

“Flattering,” she deadpanned. “Turning me into a freelance assassin now?”

He stopped at the corner, already pulling out his phone. “Look. You ever used X Lists?”

She frowned, thinking. “Maybe once? I think I made one called ‘people who tweet smart things’… and then forgot about it.”

He winced like she’d insulted his family. “Tragic,” he muttered, scrolling. “X Lists are your stealth CRM. No Airtable. No Notion. No ugly dashboards named ‘Client Tracker V3 FINAL final (1).’ Just clean, filtered intent.”

Savitha blinked. “Okay, I hate how that actually sounds useful.”

“Right?” he said, still scrolling. “No zaps, no subscriptions. Just… the people who matter. Where they’re hanging out. What they’re saying. And when to make your move.”

Organize people who matter

“Okay,” she said, eyes narrowing just a touch. “So I can, what, keep tabs on the people I actually wanna work with?”

Raja nodded. “Exactly. Dream clients. Ex-crush leads. That one founder who always tweets like they’re auditioning for a TED Talk. You group them. Quietly. Strategically.”

He tapped his screen and kept going. “Private lists for plotting. Public ones when you wanna make a little noise. Like a subtle, ‘hey, I see you’ without sliding into their DMs.”

She blinked. “So it’s… digital stalking, but classy?”

“Sniper rifle,” he said, grinning. “Not shotgun. We don’t spray. We aim.”

Track their vibe

“Track their vibe?” She repeated, deadpan, like he’d just suggested manifesting a client through moon water.

“It’s like ambient stalking,” he said, pausing—then added with a wink, “but y’know, professionally.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“You just… watch,” he continued, like it was obvious. “How they talk. What they post. What makes ’em rant, or light up, or drop a ‘someone please fix this’ tweet at 2 AM.”

He shrugged. “Sometimes it’s a hiring post. Sometimes it’s just them whining about their landing page like it personally betrayed them. Either way? That’s your opening.”

Snipe when the time is right

“And when the moment’s right?” she asked, tilting her head, eyebrow cocked.

“You don’t pitch,” he said, already grinning. “You pounce. But like…gently. With precision. Ninja-style but wearing good cologne.”

She rolled her eyes, but she was listening.

“Something like, ‘Hey, saw your post on XYZ. Noticed something that might help, figured I’d share.’” He shrugged. “It’s not a pitch. It’s a favor. But the kind of favor only someone actually paying attention would think to offer.”

Savitha snorted. “This is sounding more and more like dating.”

“Freelancing is dating,” Raja said, dead serious. “Just with fewer midnight texts and better margins.”

She gave him a scandalized look. “You’re insane.”

“Probably,” he said. “But also? You’re about to flip the whole game. Just wait.”

Public lists to signal affection

She tilted her head, lips pursed. “Wait… do people know they’re on a list?”

“If it’s public? Yeah,” Raja said, like it was obvious. “That’s the whole charm. It’s basically a digital wink. You’re saying, ‘Hey, I’m watching, in a cool, non-creepy way.’”

He smirked. “Someone adds you to a public list? That’s a breadcrumb. A soft little neon sign. Follow it.”

Private lists to stalk with dignity

“And private?” She asked, eyebrows raised like she was waiting for him to admit something shady.

“Private’s where the plotting happens,” he said, deadpan. “Competitors. Lurkers. Ex-clients you might maybe want back. Brands you’ve got a secret crush on but haven’t figured out how to slide into yet.”

He leaned in, lowered his voice. “It’s where you lurk, but like, with dignity. You get to stalk without being obvious.”

Savitha sipped her coffee, that familiar grin creeping back. “So, public lists for flirting… and private ones for scheming?”

Raja raised his cup to clink hers. “Exactly. Public is diplomacy. Private is war.”

She nearly spat her coffee laughing. “God, you’re insufferable.”

“And yet,” he said, smug, “here you are.”

She glanced at his phone again, eyebrows scrunched, like she was squinting at a magic trick.

“Alright,” she said, dragging the word out. “Show me how to build a list that actually matters. Not just another folder full of internet randos.”

There was a pause. Then she added, almost smirking, “And if I end up on one of yours… I expect a good name. None of that ‘Misc Leads 2024’ nonsense.”

Raja grinned. “You’ll get your own category. With emojis.”

She rolled her eyes. “God help me.”

2. Dream 100 meets X Lists

They found a bench near the edge of the promenade. Just far enough from the honks and hawkers to feel like their own little slice of Chennai. The breeze played with Savitha’s hair like it had a crush. Raja was already half-distracted, tapping something into his phone, tongue slightly poking out like a kid solving a puzzle.

“Alright,” he said, tilting the screen toward her. “Now we get serious.”

She glanced at it, then back at him. “What is this? Some kind of elite hit list?”

He grinned. “Pretty much. Dream 100 strategy.”

Savitha narrowed her eyes. “Sounds like something a cult would name.”

“Yeah, but a lucrative cult without any kidnapping,” Raja said. “We don’t snipe. We charm.”

She snorted. “You say that like you’ve done this before.”

“Oh, I’ve got lists,” he said, winking. “You might even be on one.”

Build 3 lists: Decision-makers, amplifiers, and warm leads

Raja held up three fingers like he was about to teach her a secret handshake.

“Three lists,” he said. “Decision-makers, you know, folks who can actually say yes. Amplifiers are the people with a loud enough following to shout your name from the rooftops. And warm leads are the ones who’ve been lurking, liking, maybe even lowkey crushing, but haven’t made a move yet.”

Savitha nodded, slow and thoughtful. “So I’m not just chasing CEOs and praying to the algorithm gods.”

“Exactly,” she added, eyes glinting. “I’m also clocking the ones who can make a little noise for me.”

Raja pointed at her, pleased. “Now you’re thinking like a strategist. A dangerously charming one.”

Engage slowly: Orbit first, then with precision

“But here’s the thing,” Raja said, leaning in like he was about to reveal a conspiracy. “You don’t just slide into DMs out of nowhere. That’s rookie energy. You orbit. You like, you reply, you casually exist in their line of sight. Consistently. But not, y’know… serial-killer consistently.”

Savitha laughed. “So I’m flirting with my dream clients now?”

He grinned. “Exactly. Soft-launching your interest. Subtle. Strategic. You don’t hit them with ‘great post!’ vibes. You drop something sharp. A take they didn’t think of. A callback. Something that makes them pause and go… wait, who is this?”

She tilted her head. “So basically, I’m being hot and smart.”

Raja raised his cup. “A deadly combo.”

Every like is a breadcrumb

He tilted his phone so she could see. “Look at this one. Liked my thread three times this week. Not random. They’re circling. That’s a breadcrumb.”

Savitha squinted at the screen. “So… now you play detective?”

“Exactly,” Raja nodded. “You track the vibe. Are they always lurking? Do they quote-tweet with their own spicy takes? Do they post about something you could absolutely fix with your eyes closed?”

She let out a low whistle. “So this is like… romantic stalking. But for client acquisition.”

Raja grinned. “Less creepy, more charming. You don’t slide in just because they noticed you once. You wait. Watch the rhythm. When they’re warm? You make the move. Drop a thoughtful DM. Or a comment that makes them think twice.”

She looked out at the sea, sunlight catching her hair just so. “So it’s basically digital courtship. But with invoices.”

“Exactly,” he said, smiling now. “It’s not about the like. It’s what comes after. Not a follow. A relationship. The kind that opens doors… and maybe pays your rent.”

She leaned back on the bench, phone already in hand, eyes glinting with mischief. “Alright. Let’s build my three lists. And this time? I’m giving them names that bite.”

Raja let out a low laugh. “Oof. You’re dangerous when you’ve had caffeine.”

She didn’t look up, just smirked while typing. “Good. I’m done being polite. Let them know I’m coming.”

4. Superfan Audit meets X Lists

They left the bench behind, the sun flickering through trees like it was trying to eavesdrop. Their steps found a rhythm. Easy. Familiar. Her fingers brushed his, light as breath. Neither said a word.

“So,” she said finally, her voice casual but curious, “once I’ve got these lists of yours… what then? Just keep orbiting like some polite satellite?”

Raja’s grin curled back. “That’s the passive game, yeah. Now we go bold. The Superfan Audit.”

She scrunched her nose. “That sounds…intense. Like an Avengers move.”

“It kinda is,” he shrugged. “But low-key. Done right, it’s not just strategy. It’s… sharp. And sexy. And yeah, public.”

Savitha raised an eyebrow. “Oh, good. Public humiliation. My favorite.”

“Relax,” he said, nudging her. “It’s not a roast. It’s a love letter. With receipts.”

Do a soft teardown 

“Pick a brand or a creator you’re kinda obsessed with,” Raja said, scrolling lazily on his phone. “Someone you already vibe with. Maybe you’ve got their merch. Maybe you’ve doom-scrolled their archive at 2 a.m. Whatever. Now—study them. The content. The voice. Their site. Their… vibe. And ask yourself—what’s working? What’s muddying the magic?”

Savitha tilted her head. “So I just… say it out loud? Like, ‘Hey, here’s everything you’re doing wrong, thanks for coming to my TED Talk’?”

“Not like that,” he laughed. “It’s not a roast, it’s…mmm…more like a gentle dissection. Like a love letter from someone who actually sees them. You’re pointing out the spark… and where it’s flickering.”

She smirked. “So I’m their unsolicited therapist now.”

“Exactly,” Raja said, grinning. “But one who’s secretly applying for the job.”

Post it as a thread

“You take your audit,” Raja said, leaning in like he was sharing a secret. “And turn it into content. A thread. A carousel. Maybe even a mini breakdown. Frame it like this: ‘Why I keep coming back to [brand]—and what they could do to totally own their category.’”

Savitha laughed, almost spilling her coffee. “You make it sound like you’re asking them out.”

“Well,” he grinned, nudging her with his elbow, “in a way, it kinda is.”

“Romantic, huh?” she teased.

Tag only if insightful

Savitha raised an eyebrow. “So, do I tag them? Or just… pray they see it?”

Raja shrugged, giving her a knowing look. “Tag them if your insights are strong enough to stand on their own. Not if you’re just fishing for likes. You’re not begging for attention. You’re signaling something. Big difference.”

She nodded, processing it. “So, instead of begging for work, I show them I already get them?”

Raja paused, his gaze softening. “Exactly. You’re not pitching. You’re making yourself… inevitable.”

They walked on in silence for a moment, the conversation shifting. Now less about clients and more about belief. Not in the algorithm. But in herself.

5. Turning X Lists + Superfan Audits into paid work

Savitha shot Raja a sideways glance, her brows raised in playful suspicion. “Alright, so I do the audit. Post the thread. Then what? Do I just sit back and wait for the applause?”

Raja laughed, a little too smug. “Not applause. Alignment.”

She narrowed her eyes, leaning in a bit. “You’re being cryptic again.”

Watch for signals 

He raised a finger, looking like he was about to drop some deep wisdom. “So, you post your audit. Then, you watch. Did someone from the brand like it? Did a team member throw in a ‘👏’? Or maybe a mutual retweet?”

Savitha raised an eyebrow. “Ah, breadcrumbs again?”

“Yup,” he said with a grin. “Little signals that scream, ‘We saw you.’ That’s when you make your move.”

Slide into DMs 

“Now, you DM,” he said, leaning in a bit. “But not cold. Not random. You’re not sliding in with a ‘Hey, wanna work together?’ Instead, try something like, ‘Hey, I just did a breakdown on your brand. I really love what you’re doing. If you ever wanna tighten things up, I’d love to collaborate.’”

Savitha raised an eyebrow. “That simple?”

“That honest,” he replied with a smirk. “You’re not selling. You’re just offering insight. You’ve already shown you get them.”

Turn Superfan Audits into offers

She kicked a stone along the path, deep in thought. “So, the audit is the gateway drug?”

Raja grinned. “Yeah, now you’re getting it. Once they engage, that’s when you slide in with the custom offer. You’ve already figured out what’s wrong, now you offer the fix.”

She looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. “And what if they just ghost me?”

He shrugged, hands in his pockets. “Some will. But, hey, some won’t. And the ones who don’t? They’ll remember exactly why you stood out.”

They walked on, the sun stretching its last golden rays across the sky, casting long shadows on the ground.

They reached the seawall, the salty breeze mixing with the faint smell of roasted peanuts from a nearby vendor. The world felt quiet, like they were the only two people left on Earth.

Savitha didn’t say anything at first. She just stood there, arms crossed, letting the wind tug at her scarf. The sound of the waves and the light on the water, it all felt… right.

Then, without a word, Raja slipped his hand into hers. No grand gesture. Just warmth.

She didn’t pull away.

They both looked at the sun sinking into the horizon, that soft orange bleeding into the darkening water like ink spreading in water.

“I never thought strategy could feel like this,” she said, her voice soft, almost a whisper.

“Like what?” he asked, still watching the sea, not looking at her.

“Like freedom,” she said, smiling a little.

Raja turned then, looking at her with a new kind of understanding. “That’s the whole point,” he said, his voice quieter now.

She smiled, not because he was right. But because he was still holding her hand and hadn’t let go.

(To be continued…)