How a Single Freelancer Outperforms a Whole Team

It has nothing to do with being more talented

Companies that want to hire you will often use an argument consisting of two logical fallacies, wrapped in a veneer of condescension. Specifically, they will tell you that you have to choose between security and freedom (false dichotomy fallacy). They will base their pitch on the presupposition that working in a team is more productive and more secure, and then proceed to ask you whether productivity and security are important to you (loaded question fallacy).

Let me tell you why they’re wrong, and why being a freelancer can provide the best of both worlds.

The lone rider

My experience as a software developer, having worked both in teams and solo for 9 years, is as follows. If there is a project that a single expert can complete in 6 months, a team of 3 experts will do it in 4 months. If everyone in this example makes the same amount of money, that totals to twice the cost for the client in the team scenario, and only 33% of time saved.

This happens for the same reasons that make a lone horseback rider cover a greater distance in the same time than a group of riders:

• there is no time spent on discussions
• only one person has to…