This is meant to be a lighthearted piece — I’m obviously not endorsing terrorism or anything similar. Written for fun, to be read for fun. Spoilers ahead — only read on if you’ve watched Pathaan or are okay with spoilers.
Freelancing is the new ‘in’ thing to try. Whether it’s a side hustle to help you make more income, a stopgap to help you through some tough times in your full-time job, or something you’re choosing to make the foundation of your career, it’s all the rage right now.
King Khan’s newest and biggest Bollywood blockbuster also champions freelancing — albeit not in a way that might strike you on your first watch. Jim, our very good-looking villain, is probably the world’s first freelance terrorist. 💀 He saunters about through the film, wreaking havoc with an earworm of a soundtrack1 accompanying his actions.
Throughout the film, Jim, and what is probably his LLC (although I don’t expect that he’s actually registered it somewhere), Outfit X, are the antagonists to Shah Rukh’s Pathaan. But amidst all this, Jim gives all freelancers watching some valuable advice that I think we could still extrapolate into our own freelance careers (minus the terrorist activities, of course).
1. He takes a deposit
Jim takes at least 50% of his fee in advance. This comes in handy when his client thinks of going back on their word or wants to change the scope of the assignment at the very end. A freelancer-client relationship is based on trust, so why should the freelancer alone bear the brunt of faith? An upfront payment shows that the client is serious about the work and that they value the time and expertise the freelancer is bringing to the table.
2. He hires subcontractors and experts for specific tasks
Jim, rather, Outfit X (we respect his desire to keep his work and personal identities separate), has several subcontractors working for him. Whether it’s taking care of admin tasks or betraying the protagonist to gain access to bioweapons, he hires experts and delegates any work he can to his subcontractors. This frees him up to work smoother and potentially even take on better, higher-paying work in the time he’s saving.
3. He performs quality checks on the (final) deliverable
Now, despite his delegation, Jim takes his assignments very seriously (as any freelancer worth their salt should). This means that he personally checks the final deliverables and, in the case of an issue, resorts to his failsafe systems to ensure smooth delivery for his client. More than just popping in at the last moment, he goes above and beyond, zooming across the skies and riding bikes across frozen waterbodies to recover assets and ensure that the client gets what they need by the end of the project.
4. He clearly establishes timelines and feedback loops
Remember how vital trust is in freelancing? Well, Jim knows that visibility is critical in building that trust. To that end, we see that he takes the time to communicate with key stakeholders in the project (in this case, both his client and his client’s target audience) through video calls, messages, and more. He clearly states the deadline for receiving an answer (which could be feedback and edits, in your case) and asks for a consolidated reply from those involved in the decision-making process — too many cooks and all, you know?
5. He doesn’t sign unnecessary non-competes
A key aspect to succeeding in your industry as a freelancer is to pick a few niches that you’re great at. But if a client were to make you sign a non-compete, that means you can’t take your hard-learned skills and talents to another company. Jim knows the value of working with multiple clients, and we see him clearly elaborate on this — “Right now, X is the client, and therefore, this is the deliverable. But I’m open to work after this assignment, and could potentially take you on as a client in the future.” (Paraphrased, of course.)
6. He doesn’t take shit from his client — he knows money isn’t the most important
At the end of the day, Jim knows the value of his work, time, and skills. He doesn’t take shit from his client, who tries to demand unnecessary things in an almost impossible timeline when the situation shifts. Working with considerate clients who take the time to understand your situation or the changing circumstances is worth more than $$$ in the bank but stress headaches or amped-up anxiety (and, in Jim’s case, even death?!). Jim does the best he can, but ultimately, he knows what works best for him and isn’t afraid to set his clients in place — afterall, he’s a business owner, too, isn’t he?
Freelance terrorist probably isn’t the best career path, but I think Jim’s got most of the basics of making freelancing successful right, don’t you?
Jim becomes a freelancer after some issues with his full-time job (and that’s putting it mildly). After all, who of us doesn’t relate to our work-life balance being reduced to shreds or having to go the extra mile without extra pay? Plus, given the currently ongoing worldwide layoffs across industries under the guise of recession, it makes sense that people want some more career/job safety — even if it means they have to create it themselves this time.
Here’s hoping Jim’s way of freelancing (and not his specific offering itself) catches on, and more freelancers become comfortable respecting themselves, their work, and their time — as much as they do their clients.
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1 Jim’s Theme, I found out while writing this piece, is sung by one of my former classmates!!
