Hi everyone! I'm super excited to present The State of Independence Report 2021, in concert with Contra, a new professional network that gives workers the tools they need for a flexible career. Anyone who has ever met me can probably tell that I'm obsessed with how the future of work will look more independent and creative than the corporate 9-5s of yesteryear. Workers are increasingly choosing projects that they personally feel values-aligned with, taking charge of their own education/upskilling, and choosing freelance not for the money but for the autonomy and freedom. This report quantifies those trends; we surveyed over 10,000 independents who work in digital product-related industries. The report reflects the incredible shift we are seeing in the current workforce. Hope you enjoy it! -Li

The future of work is changing! Work is no longer bound to an office and 9-5 hours. People are taking charge of their own education and focusing their energy on projects that they are personally passionate about. Contra is the new professional network that allows anyone to work for themselves. We provide the tools and infrastructure needed to build your career around the life you want, with zero commission fees; our mission is to enable everyone love what you do & do what you love. 🤗 This survey is a summary of how independents are finding work, getting paid, and everything in between. Learn how to work independently, the benefits, and tools used by independents around the world today. 🚀

Recent events with Covid-19 only speed up the process of changing the future of work. You probably know that creatives no longer want to sit in the office 9 to 5. They search for remote, independent, and high-quality opportunities. Check out this report if you are curious how other independents work today and find out about the most popular skills and tools they use!

Its so exciting to launch the first annual State of Independence with @ljin18 and the entire Contra team. The world has changed and the future of work is flexible. If you have ever thought about going independent, becoming a business of one, or freelancing, this report will give you a good idea of what it takes and how others are doing it.

Contra has the best landing page of 2021.

Congrats to the ?makers Contra team, a lot of effort must have went into building this report. I love the visuals and the design. Congrats!

What a beautiful experience on the report!

The future of work is here, and it is revolutionary ✨ Independent workers are making more and working less, and most importantly -- making work they love 💛 I was so inspired reading this report, and in addition to all of the useful data, it was so fun to interact with! It has been an absolute dream working at Contra on this team of fellow independents & visionaries! The best is yet to come 🚀

The idea of work life balance is a myth. A concept created to give work and life equal prominence. But this is not true. Work is a subset of life, a hugely important one but a subset nevertheless. No one is going to be CEO of your life other than you. How much you invest of your life resources into work is a decision you make in order to achieve the goals you set. Everyone is an entrepreneur now, but maybe not everyone knows this yet. Celebrating this shift supports myth busting.

Your visuals are awesome! Like always! Great job!🚀

Cheers to the contra team! Who makes that music? its dope!!

Our work no longer needs to be 'just a source of income'. It can be something that we enjoy doing and something that improves the quality of our day to day lives in the same way that hobbies do while still addressing our financial requirements. We now know, for a lot of jobs, it is possible to do this. In fact, a lot of people around the world are already doing it this way and have been doing it for a while. Remote work is one important aspect of the new way of working but that's not the whole thing. For this to be sustainable, you need a platform that removes the friction from working remotely so that you can spend more time on what you want to do rather than what you need to do. The State of Independence report, based on a survey of 10,000+ independents, includes a lot data and information that is driving us to build the platform, tools and community to help independents and companies around the world thrive in this new era.

Hard work & dedication. Couldn't be more proud of what we are doing at Contra. Our tech is superb and our team even more. But there's more! We are not solely looking to have a great platform that can actually help people all around the world find flexible and remote work, we want to inform and educate people (and especially companies) about what the independent community actually looks like. The state of independence is the product of incredible amounts of hard work, dedication, and passion. Just like everything we do at Contra.

The future of work is clear: it is flexible and people have agency over their day-to-day. People are tired of sacrificing their lifestyle for work -- which is why working independently and having a flexible career is the now and the future. 🚀 I am so proud of all the work the Contra team put into this report. When someone doubts the power of working as an independent, this is what I'll send their way.

I love indie industry. Thanks for sharing this.

"It's a lifestyle. Independents are increasingly beginning to focus their energy on projects that they personally stand by." https://contra.com/freelance-ind... We are no longer willing to sacrifice our values & interests to mold into a corporate matrix. I am so proud to be a part of the Contra team, paving the way for a future that enables independents to live & work in a way that optimizes their talents and aligns to their values & lifestyle. The first annual State of Independence may be the first of its kind but represents a trend that has been many years in the making. Humans are community-driven, autonomous, and value-centered individuals and our professional lifestyle should be built to match! And check out that dataset + visuals 👀😍🤓! Our mission at Contra is to provide the tools & community you need to build the professional lifestyle you want. The best is yet to come! 🚀

This looks amazing. Definitely will read this! Congrats on your launch.

The future of flexible work means more and more individuals will be able to live the life they choose. They'll have the autonomy to make their own executive decisions; working hard to play just as hard! 🚀 Had I not been in the world of independent work, I wouldn't have been able to land my dream opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team like Contra's. Proud of all of the hard work the team puts into this, and endlessly grateful that we're working on the future of work together 💛

Right now, I’m at the beach celebrating this launch. Celebrating not only the immense hard work that my team has put into this launch, but the fact that I can work anywhere, anytime, and that I am thriving with this model. The workforce is changing–the future is flexible, and it's NOW. Read how 10,000+ independents agree. No longer do we have to be confined by location and commute. Creativity shouldn’t come from staring at a cubicle wall, but from the vibrant life around you that you have time to live. The State of Independence Report is an example of the driving force behind the passionate team here at Contra. We are creating the tools that enable and empower you to become a part of this movement. To work with people you value on projects that you are passionate about. Cheers! 🚀

The State of Independence Report is one of the well designed and well-detailed reports I ever saw. Absolutely love the interactive website. Particularly learned a lot of tools creators prefer to use. Congrats on the launch Li and Contra team