It’s quite possible that the dropshipping phenomenon will taper off naturally by the end of the decade, but the stage is already set.

It’s now abundantly clear that there is a generation of gullible talent with an uncertain economic future, desperate for a taste of success, security and independence. This group stands out in the professional arena like a gazelle in the woods, and the wolves are circling.

The insistence that customers are in fact entrepreneurs is as brutally effective as is its reverse — the adamant labelling of employees as mere users, as favoured by ridesharing and delivery service apps. Most impressively of all, online freelancing agencies have found a way to fuse these two approaches — campaigns glorifying the toil and pain of the tireless knowledge worker are rampant, attracting admiration and scorn in equal measure.

Wikipedia: By 1855, the economic climate had changed dramatically. Gold could be retrieved profitably from the goldfields only by medium to large groups of workers, either in partnerships or as employees

The most fashionable piece of business advice at the entry level is, of course: ‘hard work pays off.’ Aspiring entrepreneurs are told they must see every setback as a stepping stone on the way to eventual success. At later stages, the story shifts dramatically; ‘outsource as much as possible,’ mentors say; ‘build quickly and cheaply — fix problems later,’ and finally — ‘systemise everything and turn your business into a passive income.’

The subtext is that employees, contractors and collaborators are essentially throwaway.

Creative and strategic expertise is not relationship-based — rather, it’s a product. The glaring problem with this creed is that if freelancers are given no opportunity to understand business goals and values, they will be unable to deliver their best work. This is especially frustrating for designers, whose insights can radically improve the quality of a product or service — but every discipline (and every individual) has wisdom and cultural value to offer that goes beyond the ability to deliver a package of work. Founders who fail to understand this miss out on the opportunity to build resilience and dynamism into their organisations, instead building fragile systems that orbit around their own personal brand and skills.

Wikipedia: Samuel Brannan [was] the first to publicize the California Gold Rush and was its first millionaire. He used the profits from his stores to buy large tracts of real estate… He died poor and in relative obscurity

Plenty of scaleups are already challenging the norm, and investors who have experienced the best and worst of business have written extensively that culture must be right from day one. However, many directors that take this kind of advice seriously still make a rigid distinction between employee and contractor. When it comes to technical disciplines, the consequences for alienating top talent are obvious; engineers and developers are in such demand that they can easily afford to turn down unrewarding work. Strategists and creative professionals, on the other hand, must contend with a much more skeptical environment. The importance of their contribution isn’t easy to recognise in the context of ‘execute quickly, fail fast, trim the fat’ management thinking. As a result, many brilliant thinkers suffer from imposter syndrome and struggle to make themselves heard in a highly technical and fast-paced business environment.

Despite this, the myth that being a self-starter means accepting terrible working conditions is starting to crumble, opening up a whole range of lifestyles for independent workers to choose from. Many young creatives and strategists are moving to countries like Thailand; the lower cost of living makes it possible to work part time and still live well while studying, acquiring skills or saving for the future. The critical milestone for freelancers is attaining a reliable income, which can be a huge challenge when so many companies demand creative work for free. Professionals must acquire business development and relationship building skills to transform this dynamic, and even then many independent workers find it tricky making sure that clients pay. This is where Iglu can help: managing tax, health insurance and invoicing for digital expats in Thailand and providing a hub for professionals to collaborate and learn.

Even with no sheriff, determined homesteaders can band together to fight off the bandits and build their dreams.