It's safe but it's also exponentially more difficult than starting a startup. The amount of connections one would need to start a business tomorrow generating

It's safe but it's also exponentially more difficult than starting a startup. The amount of connections one would need to start a business tomorrow generating $500k in annual profits is insurmountable. Being a successful consulting agency or freelancer is attainable in two ways: 1. Know a lot of people at a lot of very large companies that are willing to throw you a bunch of work. 2. Build up clientele for a very long time making no money until you hit critical mass. When I was freelancing it was one of the worst experiences of my life, so of course I'm bias. But I want readers to know that there are 2 sides to every coin.