Human Cloud

Cory Hymel is our innovator of the month, teaching us how we need to think about and act on ChatGPT and Generative AI.

Cory and I go way back in building custom software using freelance networks. Everything from building the mobile app for North America's leading manufacturing company, to helping Enterprises identify how they can best use AI by plugging in expert AI freelancers.

3:47 - the shift from marketing budgets to IT budgets

5:47 - the shift from this is to cool to "we know this will happen, how do we do this securely"

7:25 - how ChatGPT unlocks the power of synthesis

12:51 - the evolution from IBM Watson to ChatGPT

18:49 - how to start embracing ChatGPT

24:01 - the move to an A-sync future

36:31 - best way to adopt ChatGPT, small working teams

Check out Cory's Leader Portal:

https://humancloud.substack.com/s/leaders

Hoxby is a creative freelancer collective that's fundamentally transformed how clients work with freelancers. Instead of one-off gigs, Hoxby has ushered in scaling project based work within their clients. On this episode we'll talk tactical about how they did this and preview their new book Workstyle!

Matteo is our innovator of the month. A Chief Marketing Officer and prior Director at Expedia, Matteo came into the Human Cloud from a frustration with merit and geographical limitations in traditional hiring. In this episode we'll talk:

4:30 - Geeking out over Rome, where he resides

17:28 - The culture problem of the freelance economy

26:04 - Evolution of careers

28:01 - Proof of work and credentialing

43:30 - Navigating data abundance

Matthew Mottola

Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 5:03 PM (13 days ago)

to brooks, me

Brooks, hope you've had an incredible holiday and are ready for a great year. We plan to release this mid Jan. Feel free to edit anything below!

Title: Brooks Lockett, SaaS & B2B freelancer

Description: 

Leaders, we seldom bring on individual freelancers for an entire episode.

The reason is absolutely NOT that we don’t leave freelancers (they are the hero’s of our industry).

The real reason is that the best freelancers aren’t usually talking, they’re building, and a podcast for them is typically a distraction.

BUT. Their voices need to be heard. And you need to understand their problems and their motivation in order to attract and retain the best one’s.

Which is where Brooks comes in. Brooks' would be your VP of marketing. Instead he’ll still do what a VP of marketing can do, but as an independent contractor, he’ll be your go to for every piece of SaaS & B2B content.

We’re going to hit on everything.

Why he freelances.

Why freelancing is better than a full time job for him.

Why hiring him leads to better results than full time employees.

What sucks about freelancing.

Make sure to check out Brooks' leader portal: https://humancloud.substack.com/s/leaders

Leaders, Jon Younger and Steve King are the brains behind many of our industries leading stats.

What’s unique about Steve is that he’s the perfect example of freelancing becoming the natural evolution of work. Steve wasn’t a pissed off employee that wanted to ‘ditch the 9-5 to sit on a beach’. He was a VP & GM at leading companies like Lotus Development and Macromedia. In terms of the corporate ladder, he made it, yet he chose to blaze the solopreneur path instead through his firm Emergent Research,

There are 7 massive themes that Steve and I discuss.

There’s now a middle class to the freelance economy

55% of individuals have been independent at some point in their life

60% of Americans don’t have the risk profile of a freelancer

There was 20%+ growth from 2021 to 2022, with full time freelancers as the leading segment

Freelancing is overwhelmingly chosen, and freelancers have the highest levels of fulfillment

Misclassification is protecting 25% of the population at the expense of the entire freelancer population

We’ll also break down MBO Partners recent State of Independence in America 2022 Report.

Make sure to check out Steve's leader portal: https://humancloud.substack.com/s/leaders

The Matts review an explosive and exciting year for freelancers around the world. With lots of acceleration and changes in the industry in the past year, it has become essential to adjust and strategize. With AI on the horizon, many workers fear for their jobs - but the smart ones are utilizing it.

Subscribe to the newsletter:

Humancloud.Substack.com

It's been one hell of a year for the $5.4 trillion dollar freelance economy. From seeing budgets expand to the number of freelancers increase, the freelance economy is now top of mind within every leadership team. This week we'll meet with the most important researcher and reporter on the freelance economy - Jon Younger. 

We'll discuss:

- What changed in the past year

- How layoffs, tightening, and a looming recession necessitate the change in business strategy from growth to profitability

- 9 predictions of what needs to change to 2x our industry

Find the transcript and stats at our newsletter: https://humancloud.substack.com/

We consider Albert the Creative Leader of the Future. 10 years ago he’d be your fastest rising Creative VP. Today he’s better off being independent where he can rise quicker without your corporate bullsh**. Albert will breakdown the seismic shifts in work, the decline of freelance talent marketplaces, and how individuals can be ready for a freelance first economy. 

Make sure to check out his leader portal to find exact quotes: https://humancloud.substack.com/s/leaders

3:50 - Albert’s Background

10:47 - The ‘freelance’ economy is just a term to describe how we get work done

17:24 - Difference between top freelancers and everyone else…clearly communicating commercial value

23:30 - How to create the best commercial differentiation

28:12 - How Albert built his freelance career

31:34 - The ‘fumble’ years of freelancing…years 3-5

43:01 - Marketplaces…do we need them?

45:34 - Why will marketplaces die…by being in the way of how a freelancer grows

53:35 - What systems will drive the future of work 

Albert's Leader Portal: https://humancloud.substack.com/s/leaders

Leaders, the freelance economy is quickly transforming from a client first industry to a freelancer first industry. This means that rather than marketplaces having massive networks with little engagement, marketplaces of the future will create thriving freelancer communities that consistently exceed client expectations. No one better understands this than Maari, a freelancer herself and the founder of the freelancer first marketplace Uncompany. 

3:28 - Maari's journey of burnout, freelancing after college, and freelancing to take control of her life

6:35 - The difficulties of transitioning from full time to freelance and how that can challenge one's identity

15:18 - How Maari separated herself as a freelancer by packaging services and being insanely easy to work with 

19:30 - What freelancers really want...good work, good pay, retirement

30:18 - Why Uncompany is focused on a small, engaged freelancer network

38:12 - What's changed in the freelance economy and how Covid catalyzed acceptance

41:12 - Why freelancing won't save you, it can only make things worse

49:02 - How leaders can build their hybrid teams like sports teams

Leaders, it’s rare to see entrepreneurs and business leaders in our space that have real freelance experience, not the ‘I freelanced for 6 months then started coaching’. Brooke is one of those rare leaders. She not only built a successful freelance business, she’s seen all sides of our space as a corporate leader at Postmates, successful web development Freelancer, and entrepreneur helping small business owners hire freelancers.

It’s a path Matthew can personally relate to, and her learnings are crucial to every leader and entrepreneur building in our space.

In this pod we hit on a central theme that is controversial yet unavoidable - the disruption of freelance talent marketplaces. 

Currently our industry has two public company freelance talent marketplaces, Upwork (UPWK) and Fiverr (FVRR). Both were one of the first, both have clear strengths, yet both were built for an industry that is quickly and fundamentally changing. Specifically, freelancers the past 10 years look very different than freelancers entering today.

Enjoy this episode and make sure to subscribe to the Human Cloud Newsletter to be updated when Brooke's Leader Portal goes live.

2:01 - her parents had the flexibility that she expected but her career initially didn't have

4:50 - How she knew how to jump into freelancing

5:45 - Why teachers make phenomenal freelance project managers

7:55 - Why platforms introduced the freelance economy in a transactional way

8:54 - How prioritizing support of the freelancers gets rid of the transactional nature of marketplaces

13:45 - How Postmates shaped her understanding and vision of the freelance economy?

16:51 - What is the future of freelance talent marketplaces? When will they end? What forces will disrupt it?

17:32 - The more freelancers have power, the more the current talent marketplace will not be needed

21:30 - Why companies need full time talent dedicated to just managing freelancers

24:12 - Learnings from small business owners that corporations will need to adopt

24:53 - What companies need...REPORTING!!!!!!! Consistency, simplicity, and one resource to turn too.

25:47 - How can companies support freelancers? Onboarding!!! And empathy.

30:35 - How can government support the freelance economy?

Brooke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookemarkevicius/