Back in 2017, on Episode 29 of the PM Debate Podcast, we took on a question that was already gaining momentum at the time:

Is freelance project management just a passing fad, or is it the future of the profession?

On one side, the argument was clear: globalization, offshoring, and project-based work were pushing organizations toward short-term, specialized talent. For project managers, that meant more autonomy, but also more responsibility for their own careers, finances, and long-term stability.

On the other side, we challenged the assumption that freelancing is inevitable. Hidden costs, loss of institutional knowledge, confidentiality risks, and the very human desire for stability all complicate the picture. Not every organization or every professional thrives in a fully freelance model.

What makes this episode worth revisiting nearly a decade later is how unfinished the debate still is. The job market may look different today, but the core tension hasn’t gone away: Who carries the risk: the organization, or the individual?

Listen to the episode and decide for yourself whether the profession has proven this was a trend… or whether the jury is still out.

As always, I’m curious: Has your own career moved closer to one side of this debate since 2017 or further away?

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