i decided to break free recalls a bangalorebased techie about the decision he took two years ago to quit the fourth mnc he worked for writing codes before that for some 20 years he had worked with some of the worlds best it giants in what he calls the hotspots of the world san francisco london dubai sydney then came the epiphany the 43yearold says he didnt want to stay hitched to any single company that was also a moment of hubris in hindsight he says soon after he set off on the new path of freelancing he kept stumbling over multiple hurdles his former employers were initially excited about awarding him projects but were painfully slow on payments much to his wifes anguish he dipped into his savings to pay bills the honeymoon didnt last more than two years he was back with an it biggie fortunately in a position on a par with the one he had relinquished but with a 15 lower pay package i felt shortchanged but i had no choice he notes and hopes to make up for the lost time quickly of course he had lost a lot of time worrying about payments and selling his ideas time that he could have instead used to build his expertise had he stayed on in the mnc in the world that american futurologist stowe boyd envisages say 10 years from now such executives are destined to be chased by employers like crusaders after the holy grail it is a world in which freelancing will be a hot job boyd sees massive realignment of functions that will usher in more flexibility to ensure greater productivity in that world like the ubercool gadgets of today like those expensive intelligent home appliances like those automatic vehicles that are trundling on western roads and the drones that are dotting the skies work too will get smarter much smarter than it is today new dawn for freelancing in fact by then freelancing will be crucial for businesses avers boyd first businesses need the flexibility involved in a freelance workforce second some skills are not required or afforded on a fulltime basis he points out he asks how often does a small business need to update its logo or website for example or hire a senior executive according to him in the future the design or recruiting skills arent needed daytoday third in an economy where employers arent providing many benefits many people want the independence of freelancing it affords them the opportunity to work with a wide range of companies perhaps to commute less and to avoid office politics that comes with fulltime work posits boyd well such burnished attributes of work are sexy but a far cry especially in india and other emerging markets microsoft india former director james joseph knows it only too well after all he quit his highpaying job as a gogetter marketing executive at the redmond washingtonbased