[sbrother]

Actually #1 is my favorite, as I'm better at technical sales and rapid prototyping than I am at slow, FAANG style politicking, planning, risk mitigation and eventual development. I've done both at various points in my career and consistently make about ~twice as much money running my own consultancy, not to mention I'm so much happier in that environment.

[granshaw]

Do you get much stress in terms of sometimes not being “rapid” enough, not having anyone to rely on apart from yourself (assuming you’re solo), and finding business?

[sbrother]

Not really, because I always maintain at least a few clients so I'm not too worried about losing one. Once you have a solid pipeline, losing a client becomes just part of the business, not the scary emotional experience of "getting fired".

And I have a network of other independents I can bring in to help out with things. They're a good source of leads for me as well.