1. First, we all work at home, on a global scale due to this lockdown.

Forced into remote work, companies are scrambling to adjust workflows and bring them online. Long Zoom, Slack, and remote collaborative tools.

2. Then, many rules change around online work.

We see productivity gains both personally and at the company level, and so time at work and scheduling adjusts, breaking the 9-5 which is a relic of the past.

3. Then, we become more open to remote hiring.

After all, if we're all just living in Slack or Zoom, why does location matter?

4. Then the talent pool shifts from a localized focus to skill and culture fit.

And so physicality is no longer a large advantage.

5. Then, as employees work remotely, they decide to take on another client.

First, it's just on the weekends.

Then they ask for more of your time.

And suddenly you're a freelancer and not an employee and...

6. Then companies shift structurally to accommodate freelancer/employees.

From investment on down. I'm seeing this with Earnest Capital and others, new funding models for companies.

But with new funding models come new incentive models for employees, after all...

7. Then companies compensate differently to adjust to these structures.

What does equity look like in a company full of freelancers? And what is a company when everyone is part-time? Shared earnings and incentives change, as do perks.

8. Then the lines of your career lines blur further.

Investor, employee, freelancer... you can be all three. You purchase options from a few projects, and you also are part of a network that passes you work. It's a portfolio approach for many.

9. Then your schedule changes to accommodate these different roles.


Your schedule has a set number of slots for work during the week because you have 2 young kids you're working at 60% time, so it's just capacity for a few projects.

Mondays and Tuesdays you spend in data reviews and conversations. Wednesdays your off in the morning, but in the afternoon you have group calls. Thursdays are more relaxed, and you use it for a bit of learning. And Fridays you teach a part-time course back to back for about three hours.

10. Then Payment becomes real-time.

You're paid weekly, if not daily depending on the work. Maybe by the minute.

This is made easier by the organization you're in that suggests projects on your calendar in the week ahead with set pricing.

There are bounties you can capture for certain projects if you win them.

Winning is based on your past portfolio. Lots of time is spent asking the right questions and prompting work forward.

11. Then "Work Culture" is much less relevant.

Aside from the few friends you've picked up that you've overlapped with before on certain projects. You place less meaning in work, and much more in what's in front of you in your day to day life.

It's more like a video game where you have things to complete, and lots of times it's fun, but once you get a certain score you just sign off for the day and do something else.

You're not so afraid of being fired, after all, there are projects to pick up all over the place. Plus we've got better government benefits in place to retrain.

You're still concerned with high-ticket jobs and being placed in those. It takes time to develop skills that help you get great project work and it still takes time to find the best career fit, at least for the moment.

Most of what creates value, and captures value remains.

But the career part?

That's changing rapidly.

xx David