But that's the trick, when would employees of a mega-org leave as a group, even in small numbers? I can only see it happening in a layoff or after the shares ve

But that's the trick, when would employees of a mega-org leave as a group, even in small numbers? I can only see it happening in a layoff or after the shares vest from an acqui-hire. Neither scenario is a recipe for picking up a strong team. Consultants who struggle to keep the pipeline full are, by definition, struggling. The small firms who have steady clients do tend to shed the "consultant" label pretty quickly, so I can see some selection bias. I've known plenty of firms that don't have a tough time keeping a steady stream of work. I've even worked in a few. I think Stripe's bid will work because it will stay small. If it really caught on, the idea is deeply flawed. But for small teams, some of the time, it will work.