Whether freelancing is better for you really depends on if you can charge a rate that (a) covers necessaries like insurance and pension and (b) is higher than y

Whether freelancing is better for you really depends on if you can charge a rate that (a) covers necessaries like insurance and pension and (b) is higher than you would receive as a full-timer, and (c) also pay a lower tax rate as a consultancy than as a full-timer. If you can do that, then you also get: every moment on the clock is compensated. Mandatory, boring meeting? Groovy team-building weekend? Stay up late to zoom clients on another continent? All paid. No reason to drag your feet, or complain about management, or worry about being passed up for a promotion. You smile, nod, and send an invoice. People tend to respect your time. Bootstrapping or founding? Everything that you do is an investment in your future. It's like buying a house rather than renting. There are exceptions, of course. > What has changed? I'm not sure anything has changed. Software is an ever-expanding demand. If you know how to write it, you can charge a premium for this skill.