In terms of recurring income (retainers) or access to "upsides", corporate employment does not do any better than the gig economy. You can charge $250/hour for

In terms of recurring income (retainers) or access to "upsides", corporate employment does not do any better than the gig economy. You can charge $250/hour for a gig, but I doubt that corporations would agree to pay that out as a monthly salary. You can get 25% of the shares and therefore the profits in a startup but good luck trying to get any share in the profits of a corporation. Furthermore, in the gig economy you don't get a payslip. You invoice. That allows you to extensively use jurisdiction shopping to minimize tax bills. In Europe, that can spare you from handing over 70% of your revenue to the tax collector. Good luck trying to do that in corporate employment.