blog / blogchains / on-the-road
On The Road
A series exploring my adventures as an independent consultant
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Written on 24 October 2016.
Two years ago today I quit my job and headed out on my own as an independent. I’d like to talk about it a little. Maybe I can be helpful to those behind me, maybe those in front of me can add their wisdom. Maybe I just need to write. Being independent is a lot like being on a road...
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Written on 24 October 2017.
Three years ago today I walked out of Google into the crisp autumn air of independence. My friend Jonathan Schnapp hosted a quit party for me at the Royal Palms shuffleboard club and I was suddenly out on my own. It feels a lot like being on a endless road trip - a feeling of ultimate freedom interlaced with a...
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Written on 24 October 2018.
October 24th is the anniversary of when I quit my last full time job to head out as an independent consultant. Catch up with 2 years on the road and 3 years on the road Four years on the road. The metaphor of the road-trip still rings true - a sense of not having a stable home but...
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Written on 24 October 2019.
I’ve been independent 5 years today. Exactly one year ago I posted 4 years on the road. After an incredibly busy summer, my retained revenue had just dried up and I ended on a cliffhanger: And finally, note how slow I am right now. For the first time since June 2016 I’m at a lull. It feels nice...
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Written on 10 November 2020.
This is a post celebrating my 6 year indie-versary. 🥳 On October 24th 2014 I stepped out into the unknown wilds of independent work and each year I write a recap of the year behind. This year’s post is late because I was not only metaphorically on the road but literally on the road - I’ve been spending 2020 on...
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Written on 12 November 2021.
7 years ago I became an independent consultant. Well, that’s not entirely true is it? 7 years ago I quit my job. But it took a while longer to feel comfortable in my own skin, to settle into an identity and to really feel like I could call myself “an independent consultant”. This process of becoming is never ending. Discovering...
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Written on 10 November 2022.
Being self-employed feels a bit like being on an extended road trip. Untethered and free, but lonely and unsupported too. Ultimate freedoms combined with shallow roots. Every year I write a recap, around the anniversary of quitting my last job (Oct 24th, 2014). Here’s my recap of year 8. First you shape your narratives and then your narratives shape you....
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Written on 4 January 2024.
October 24th is my indie-versary, the anniversary of quitting my last full time job. Every year I write a set of reflections about this strange and magical journey. This year’s post is… about two months late. Symptomatic of how overwhelmed I’ve been this year I guess. Since having kids, deadlines are a mere illusion, shadows of their former selves. I...