Welcome back to Emerge<in>Tech,

Here’s what’s coming your way today:

Take the Digital Independent test

5 remote freelance jobs with 0% platform commission

What you should do when a client lends you their tools

Let’s dive straight in.

The main reason I write Emerge<in>Tech is to help a specific reader I know all too well: younger me. That guy who spent years in a corporate 9-5, constantly wondering if this was it. While my projects were interesting and my employer provided security, deep down I craved more flexibility and autonomy.

I stuck with it mostly out of fear I suppose, up to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore. Something needed to be done; living with this internal friction every day was unhealthy. That all changed in 2021.

Fast forward to today and I work for myself, I do what I enjoy most, and I believe I’ve finally figured out what this path is called: Digital Independence.

Now, while this career change worked for me, there are countless examples of people who returned to their cubicles after a failed entrepreneurship. Being a Digital Independent is rewarding, but it’s challenging too, and not for the faint of heart.

Despite these challenges, Digital Independents are on the rise globally, especially after the generous portion of remote work we tasted during the early 2020s.

Maybe the notion of self-employed independence sounds novel and exciting to you. Maybe you’re already miles down that path. Or maybe you’re sceptical and believe it’s all a scam.

Whatever your thoughts are, we could benefit from some clearer definitions. So let’s get more granular. Then we’ll get into the test!

The term Digital Independent wormed its way into my mind after some deep reflection on what it is that I do, the way that I do it, and the philosophy I adhere to. But it turns out the term already exists. In fact, when I asked my buddies ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Grok about this they all gave me similar replies.

I like Perplexity’s summary best:

There don’t seem to be any official dictionary entries for “Digital Independent”, but you can typically define this character type by the following traits.

Digital Independents tend to be:

Self-Employed: They sell products or services online and are legally registered as individual entrepreneurs or business owners (or both).

Entrepreneurial: They have aspirations extending beyond freelance work and are drawn to building sustainable systems.

Remote-First: Their digitally oriented operations enable them to work from anywhere with power and stable internet.

Flexible: They value the time and space this lifestyle offers, but are equally willing to put in the work when required.

Growth-Oriented: They are hyper-focused on aspects such as scalability, automation, and passive income.

Tech-Savvy: They use digital tools to create leverage and streamline their productivity.

For most of you readers these traits may seem obvious or self-explanatory. Perhaps what’s more insightful is to consider what a Digital Independent is not.

Two terms that are intrinsically linked to Digital Independence are "freelancing" and "digital nomad". Neither fully captures what being a Digital Independent is all about.

Google’s worldwide search data from the past 5 years exhibits significant differences in popularity between these terms.

“Digital Nomad” (red) is in a steady uptrend compared to “Digital Independent” (blue).

Once you include “Freelancer” (yellow), the Digital Independent term flatlines.

There are some clear distinctions to be made here:

While I enjoy the freedom and flexibility that comes with being a Digital Independent, I also appreciate the familiarity of my home office. I couldn’t deal with constant travel, visa renewals, and always searching for the next Airbnb.

Freelancers often trade time for money, chasing clients month-to-month, job-to-job. A Digital Independent, on the other hand, thinks differently, creating systems, assets, and scalable income streams. Many Digital Independents do start off as freelancers, that’s how I cut my teeth. Freelancing’s an excellent way to learn the ropes of your trade, become confident with selling, and it serves as a stepping stone to something more sustainable.

That said, it might be worthwhile to sprinkle a bit of “freelancing” into your online footprint to catch some of that higher search traffic.

At the end of the day, Digital Independents overlap with nomads and freelancers, and their flexible nature permits taking on new client work or temporary location changes. The work they do varies greatly, from one-on-one coaching, to influencing millions.

The internet has unlocked countless ways for Digital Independents to build careers outside the traditional 9-to-5.

Here are some real-world examples:

The Launch Copywriter: Specialised in a niche, hired to convert.

The Consultant: Provides remote advisory services, always in demand.

The Industry Veteran: After 20+ years in the game, they now mentor rising talent.

The Course Creator: Sells courses and cohorts, scaling knowledge into passive income.

The No-Code Designer: Uses tools like Webflow and Framer to create stunning websites.

The Community Builder: Grows a paid membership or newsletter around a specific interest.

The Content Creator: Runs a blog, podcast, and YouTube channel, fuelled by sponsors and affiliates.

The Indie Developer: Builds and monetises applications without a big tech employer, entirely self-taught.

The list goes on…

So, do you see yourself building one of these careers? If you’re reading Emerge<in>Tech, you surely have an entrepreneurial streak. You embrace emerging tech trends as opportunities, not something to fear.

Or did I get that all wrong?

Take the Digital Independent test and we’ll see if this is for you.

☐ You value autonomy over job security. ☐ You use digital tools to work on your own terms. ☐ You focus on sustainable systems, not endless hustle. ☐ You actively seek ways to earn beyond a monthly paycheck. ☐ You want to control where, when, how and with whom you work. ☐ You want flexibility, not just in location, but in structuring your career. ☐ You prefer building something of your own rather than working for others. ☐ You feel comfortable leveraging AI, automation, crypto, and other emerging tech. ☐ You’re frustrated by traditional career paths and want something more self-directed. ☐ You’re excited by new technologies and see them as opportunities, despite their disruption.

⚡ 0-3 checks → You’re curious but not quite there (yet). ⚡ 4-6 checks → You’re thinking like a Digital Independent and may already be on this path. ⚡ 7+ checks → You’re a Digital Independent (or well on your way).

So, are you a fully-fledged Digital Independent? Or are you just curious to see what’s over the fence? Send me a reply with your score and your thoughts, I’m really curious to know where my readers are at.

And if you are inspired to take action but you’re hesitant to start, that’s totally fine. It took me months to pull the trigger. This is your life you’re playing with and there’s plenty at risk.

Understanding risk is one of the most important things to grasp before you embark on this journey. I wrote an article about risk shortly after I went solo, when all these thoughts were fresh in my mind. It covers psychological aspects like Loss Aversion and Homeostasis, and breaks risk factors down into 4 categories. This framework helped me make my big choice, maybe it can help you too.