Rob Paterson, a very interesting person who writes some of the best articles in the blogosphere, talks about the end of work as we know it. This is a recurring theme for me, as I’ve worked in very large bureaucracies, dot coms, and a university. Basically, it’s getting easier to be a free agent. Rob sums up the advantage of hiring a free agent versus a corporate consultant:
This then raises the larger issue of the erosion of the corporate ownership of tools and processes. Even lowly me has an office equipped way beyond most corporate counterparts. We have not only 2 PCs but 2 iBooks, a La Cie backup and all the peripherals. I can produce documents and do research that only a few years ago would have taken several people. Now I can do it all at home or on the road. Talking about on the road: I am even spared Hotel costs. I have family houses where I can stay for free in all the major cities in Canada and in London and Amsterdam. If pushed, I could stay with friends in many other places. My clients get my full attention and they do not hire the big guy and then have all the work done by a kid. They get all of me.
The free agents that I work with all give real value for their fees. We all know that we are only as good as our last project, and that one bad referral could be the end of our business. We are all focused, but constantly exploring the peripheries, without office politics to distract us. Personally, I’m working twice as hard, for half as much, but when it’s my work for a valued client it’s really satisfying. However, I have more time to read and explore because my boss lets me.
When you engage a free agent there is no hype, no marketing mumbo jumbo about "leading edge technologies, providing enhanced human capital return on investment". We just solve problems, or do work that you don’t have the time or staff to do. You get our full attention, and we do ALL of the work. Not a bad deal.
