Ellen Donnelly

Consumer demand for smaller scale and human-crafted versions of everything will grow in an AI world. While the future of work might lend itself to small business creation, let’s ****not forget the demand side of the equation. We are going to crave artisanal and story-driven sources and experiences. Why? As every big company floods the zone of our a... See more

Consumer demand for smaller scale and human-crafted versions of everything will grow in an AI world. While the future of work might lend itself to small business creation, let’s ****not forget the demand side of the equation. We are going to crave artisanal and story-driven sources and experiences. Why? As every big company floods the zone of our a... See more

5 Reasons Why Micro-Businesses Will Define the Future of Work

Silicon Valley is obsessed with billion-dollar businesses. We are constantly hyping our unicorns-there are now more than 200 of them. As a result, it is easy to forget that 99.9% of US businesses are, in fact, very small. The US alone has more than 20 million XSMBs (extra small businesse... See more

Gritty startups will still provide generous equity packages, but they won’t hire the same volume of people. They’ll be smaller, faster, weirder, different. Employees will use AI to do 10 times more work than what previous generations of employees did.

Career advise from July Evans: Write a “brag” document. It’s useful in negotiation, in annual review & promo conversations, and when you least expect it. Why: you can’t expect your manager to know everything you’ve done. Plus you need to combat your own human cognitive issues (memory, recency bias, self depreciation, etc). What to do: maintain ... See more

We can't build a sustainable business by chasing every opportunity.

A sustainable business is strategically constrained. Its leaders know what the business is and, more importantly, what it's not.

“If your stuff’s not performing well ... you might be aware that the algorithm is doing some shenanigans to tank your views or likes,” explained Kate, but that awareness doesn’t always translate into frustration with the platform. “There’s this doubt that creeps in about your own work, what you should be doing,” she shared.

Platforms don't stand by and let peer-to-peer exchange happen. They're not absent from these relations.

The point of making content is to get an outcome,” he added.

The success of mega-influencers or thought leaders who have, in effect, transcended algorithmic management can make it difficult to see that. The Seth Godins, Mel Robbinses, and Brene Browns of the internet don’t appear to be trying to “get an outcome.” They don’t have to. Their influence... See more

This is why, once you reach some stability with consistently generating clients and revenue, many indie consultants begin to think about “scaling themselves” - either in the form of hiring staff or in building “passive income” products.

This reflex isn’t bad per se but it’s important to recognize that they are avoiding the real problem. They are avo... See more