Tuesday, February 19, 2013

whitney johnson - disrupt to indie (or interindie)

http://blogs.hbr.org/johnson/2013/02/independent-work-may-be-inevit.html

Where it gets interesting, though, is that independence isn't necessarily being foisted on people. Of those who went independent in 2012, 57% chose to.

This trend cuts across all demographics. Millennials (Gen Y), ages 21-32, for example, 40% say they're likely to choose independence of their own accord. 58% of Boomers (ages 50-66), are choosing independence. And Gen X (33-49) is the most likely to choose independence — 68% of those who have gone indie are there by choice rather than the result of job scarcity or loss. You can see this growing appetite for autonomy reflected in the burgeoning number of books and blogs looking at the meaning of work and life, from Umair Haque to Cali Yost to Gretchen Rubin to James Altucher

Note too, that with personal disruption, success is self-reported satisfaction, however you may define it. According to MBO, 65% of respondents reporting being highly satisfied versus 47% for those in traditional employment. I'm finding that to be the case for me. Notwithstanding the fear I occasionally feel, most days I have to pinch myself I am so happy: