Personal experience: don’t do free work — especially for him.
I’ve worked with Nico in the past (August 2025 – and yes, I’ve got proofs). He never cleared the full payment — only paid 50% upfront, still uses my work as his own, offered some projects at insanely low rates, and then completely ghosted me without paying ( It wasn't a big amount but it is not about money - it is about respecting talent).
There’s honestly no harm in doing free work when you’re just starting out — I tried that too but it didn't work for me. But if you’re going to do it, do it for genuinely kind people who actually appreciate your effort, people whom you admire or for companies/niches you are genuinely interested in. Not for people who exploit young talent just to make a quick buck :)