I see a lot of you in here grinding through job applications. Tailoring resumes. Writing cover letters. Following up on interviews that go nowhere. And I get it. I've been there. Hell, I'm still there sometimes. But here's what I've been thinking about lately. What if we're asking the wrong question? We keep asking "How do I get hired?" when maybe we should be asking "How do I stop needing to get hired?" Nobody wants to hire people over 40. We all know this. The algorithms filter us out. The hiring managers see our experience as "overqualified." The salary expectations don't match their budgets. We can keep banging our heads against that wall. Or we can build our own door. I'm not talking about some massive startup with investors and employees. I'm talking about something that's yours. Freelancing. Consulting. Coaching. A service business. A digital product. Something you control. Because here's what I've learned after months of building my own thing while freelancing on the side: The traditional path is broken. But there are other paths. The data actually supports this. People are starting businesses in record numbers right now. Over 5 million new business applications in 2024. That's 50% more than in 2019. And here's the kicker: 64% of entrepreneurs in the US are over 40. We're not too old for this. We're actually in the sweet spot.Most entrepreneurs don't even launch their businesses until they're 42. But I'm not going to lie to you. It's scary as hell. I've failed at business before. Multiple times. And starting again at 57, broke, with decades of failure behind me? That takes everything I've got. But I've never been this far along. I've never had this much momentum. I've never felt this certain that I'm onto something. Here's what's different this time. I'm not choosing between a job and a business. I'm doing both. I'm taking freelance work to keep money coming in. And I'm building my own platforms, my own products, my own audience at the same time.

All of us are trying to learn and apply AI in some way. How can I help? I am no expert, but together, we can get you where you need to be. What do you want to learn next?

I’ll go first:For me, it’s showing up when life is falling apart behind the scenes. Trying to create content while managing stress, family, finances—it’s brutal.And some days, the last thing I want to do is write, post, or record anything.But I keep showing up. Not because it’s easy.Because it matters. Now I want to hear from you. 👉 What’s the hardest part about creating right now? Burnout? Time? Confidence? Tech stuff? Feeling invisible? Drop a comment—even just a sentence. Let’s remind each other we’re not doing this alone.

Most freelance gigs are getting automated. Writing, graphic design, basic video editing - AI's eating them alive. But here's what's still working: High-touch services AI can't do: - Strategy consulting (not execution) - Client relationship management - Creative direction (not just creation) - Salvage work (fixing bad projects) - Niche expertise in regulated industries The shift: Instead of "I write blog posts" → "I turn your messy ideas into content strategy" Instead of "I design logos" → "I build brand systems that work across platforms" Instead of "I edit videos" → "I turn 3 hours of footage into stories people actually watch" Bottom line: AI does tasks. You solve problems. If your service can be explained in one sentence, it can probably be automated. If it requires judgment, context, and understanding messy human situations? You're safe. What freelance services are you offering that AI can't touch?

I took the liberty of taking one of Jason's recent articles and make a NotebookLM movie of it, then posted it to LinkedIn. You can check out the post here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/natepacyga_i-wanted-to-be-a-lifer-at-a-great-software-ugcPost-7401657611244511233-a3up