Sparring & Tenure for Indie Consultants

the strategic independent

About 90% of your effectiveness as a sparring partner derives from the depth of your appreciative world view, developed and expressed through critical reading, writing, podcasts, and talks. Only about 10% depends on your in-session sparring skills.

I estimate that a good sparring partner can support no more than half a dozen active clients in any given month without burning out. And it typically takes half a dozen meetings of 60-90 minutes across six months or so for the sessions to become truly high-value.

Most importantly, though you might be able to bill at a high rate, due to the individ

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I believe the answer lies in the aspirational nature of sparring work — in short, it’s thinking for a living.