How it works

From brief to payout, on rails.

Every deal on hustl. follows the same state machine, so both sides always know what happens next — and who holds the money.

Brand-initiated

12 steps, most of them automatic.

Brands post a brief, pick from an AI-ranked shortlist and approve work before anything is paid.

  1. 01

    Create a brand account

    Add company details. Verification unlocks higher deal limits.

  2. 02

    Describe the campaign

    Write the brief in plain language — no template needed.

  3. 03

    AI structures the brief

    Niche, platforms, deliverables, budget and timeline extracted with confidence scores.

  4. 04

    Review & publish

    Fix any low-confidence fields, then publish to the marketplace or keep it private.

  5. 05

    Get a ranked shortlist

    Creators scored for fit, with reasons, authenticity and past delivery.

  6. 06

    Send an offer

    Set the amount, payment mode and milestones.

  7. 07

    Negotiate

    Up to 2 counter-offer rounds keep things moving.

  8. 08

    Sign the contract

    Both sides e-sign deliverables, dates, usage rights and payment terms.

  9. 09

    Fund escrow

    Deal value plus fees are collected. Work starts only when escrow is funded.

  10. 10

    Creator delivers

    Drafts and live links are submitted against each milestone.

  11. 11

    Approve or request changes

    Approve, ask for a revision, or raise a dispute within 72 hours.

  12. 12

    Payout & review

    Approved milestones release to the creator. Both sides leave a review.

Creator-initiated

Or creators come to you.

Open briefs let creators raise their hand. Brands stay in control of who gets an offer.

  1. Browse open briefs

    Briefs matched to your niche, audience and rate — with the budget shown up front.

  2. Apply with a pitch

    Share your angle and proposed rate. Your match score is attached automatically.

  3. Get shortlisted

    Brands compare applicants side by side and shortlist the best fits.

  4. Receive an offer

    Accept, counter, or decline. From here it’s the same contract → escrow → payout rails.

Deal state machine

Every transition is validated server-side.

Deals move forward one state at a time. Anything off the path is rejected — no skipping escrow, no paying out before approval.

  1. Offer
    OFFER_SENT
  2. Contract
    CONTRACT_PENDING
  3. Signed
    CONTRACT_SIGNED
  4. Escrow funded
    FUNDED
  5. Delivery
    IN_PROGRESS
  6. Complete
    COMPLETED
Disputed

Either side can raise from Escrow funded or Delivery. An admin resolves back to Delivery (release, refund or split) or cancels.

Cancelled

Declined offers, or either side cancelling before escrow is funded. Unreleased escrow is refunded to the brand.

Negotiation, capped at 2 rounds

Offers shouldn’t turn into week-long threads. Each side can counter amount, deliverables or payment mode — up to 2 rounds. After that, the last offer is accepted or declined.

  1. Brand offer₹40,000 · 2 milestones
  2. Round 1 · Creator counter₹55,000
  3. Round 2 · Brand counter₹48,000
  4. Accepted → contract₹48,000

Dispute policy

Fair to both sides, with a clear clock.

  • 72-hour window. Brands have 72 hours after a milestone is submitted to approve, request a revision or open a dispute.
  • Releases frozen. While a dispute is open, no money on that deal is released to anyone until it’s resolved.
  • Evidence-based review. Our team reviews the signed contract, submissions and in-app messages.
  • Three outcomes. Release to the creator, refund the brand, or split — recorded in the deal’s audit log.

Ready to run your first deal on rails?

Join hustl. free. Post a brief or build your creator profile in under five minutes.

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