Minimum Viable Freelancing: Bootstrapping from zero with Maya Middlemiss
on September 14, 2022 • 1 minute read
Today’s episode comes with a bit of a twist, as our guest is the ultimate triple threat: freelancer, guest, and host of this podcast! This week, our own Maya Middlemiss will share her unique insight about Minimal Viable Freelancing. What’s that, you ask? It’s a tried and true tactic that allows you to chase your dreams without going broke in the process!
Traditionally, entrepreneurs had to seek out funding to build their businesses, whether this cash injection comes from banks, investors, or crowdfunding. While this model is still alive and well, Maya explores various shifts that have taken place over the last few decades that have allowed entrepreneurs to get started with significantly lower stakes. These shifts include, among others, funding techniques, the dynamics of the workplace, and the boom in automation. Maya discusses the importance of continuing your education throughout your career and monetizing your skills in addition to the importance of building your brand.
Maya’s overall message is that we have a lot more at our disposal today than we did (even just a few short years ago!) to get an entity started. So if you’re thinking of going Xolo —er, solo 😇 — but are having doubts, Maya shares some stories from her own experience that can show you how you can do it — even if you think you can’t.
Outline
- 2:25: A brief personal history breaking into the entrepreneurial scene
- 6:50: … and how Estonian e-Residency provided a solution
- 9:40: On Maya’s confidence comeback and defeating imposter syndrome (sometimes you can only go up!)
- 12:40: On self-learning and seeking out the right information, then using it to increase your value
- 16:15: Minimal viable hardware and software (you have more at your fingertips than you think you do)
- 24:45: Starting out means being versatile; how to build your personal brand efficiently
- 30:00: What are you waiting for?
About Maya
Maya Middlemiss is a freelance journalist and author, excited about the future of work, business, money, and technology. She operates her e-resident business through Xolo Leap, so that she can work frictionlessly with brands and publications all over the world, and she is the host of the Future is Freelance podcast. Exploring the social impact of technology on our changing world, and bringing those stories to life in an accessible and inclusive way, is her passion — because all of this is far too exciting to leave it to the geeks. Maya is a 'digital slowmad', originally from London, presently living with her family in Eastern Spain.