This is well-researched and expressed, and I generally agree. I think it's going to be more and more common for groups of programmers to break off into small consulting shops, or go freelance. (It's already happening. Several companies I've worked for have small in-house teams for day-to-day maintenance and new features, and hire larger teams of outside devs to help with bigger projects.)
But my dad worked in TV for nearly his whole life, and I got an inside look at what it really means to live and build a career within the "Hollywood model." It's... not all rainbows.
The Hollywood model (and it's attendant oddities) arose not from a pursuit of efficiency, but because of a massive power imbalance between production studios and the crews they employed. The trade unions (SAG, DGA, AFTRA, etc.) formed to (try to) correct some of this imbalance and give the crew members a fair shot at getting paid what they're worth. When you say the "Winner takes all", the winner in the Hollywood model isn't the guy sweating in the sun holding a boom mic. It's the studio. Always.
In the Hollywood model, each "expert" in this loosely coupled network of specialists must devote a significant portion of their time and attention to finding their next gig. Most in the industry form informal crews who move together from project to project, and that helps, but there's usually a designated "Producer" who the group relies on for finding work.
Literally everyone I've met in the industry (and my dad worked in TV for decades, so I've met plenty) has had dry spells between projects, lasting anywhere from a few months to a few years. They end up waiting tables, hanging drywall, selling their homes, or getting by on their spouse's paycheck. The swings in Hollywood are hard on the bank accounts, marriages, and health of the people who work there.
I think of this as a corollary to Conway's Law. The employment patterns in an industry reflect the power structures of that industry. And the Hollywood gig model reflects the power of the studios. Unstable, decentralized employment is a response to stable, centralized economic power.
I love the idea of working for a small consulting firm, and being able to specialize in the things I really love to do. But we as an industry should be very, very careful about what other industries we model ourselves on.
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This is well-researched and expressed, and I generally agree. I think it's going to be more and more common for groups of programmers to break off into small consulting shops, or go freelance. (It's already happening. Several companies I've worked for have small in-house teams for day-to-day maintenance and new features, and hire larger teams of outside devs to help with bigger projects.)
But my dad worked in TV for nearly his whole life, and I got an inside look at what it really means to live and build a career within the "Hollywood model." It's... not all rainbows.
The Hollywood model (and it's attendant oddities) arose not from a pursuit of efficiency, but because of a massive power imbalance between production studios and the crews they employed. The trade unions (SAG, DGA, AFTRA, etc.) formed to (try to) correct some of this imbalance and give the crew members a fair shot at getting paid what they're worth. When you say the "Winner takes all", the winner in the Hollywood model isn't the guy sweating in the sun holding a boom mic. It's the studio. Always.
In the Hollywood model, each "expert" in this loosely coupled network of specialists must devote a significant portion of their time and attention to finding their next gig. Most in the industry form informal crews who move together from project to project, and that helps, but there's usually a designated "Producer" who the group relies on for finding work.
Literally everyone I've met in the industry (and my dad worked in TV for decades, so I've met plenty) has had dry spells between projects, lasting anywhere from a few months to a few years. They end up waiting tables, hanging drywall, selling their homes, or getting by on their spouse's paycheck. The swings in Hollywood are hard on the bank accounts, marriages, and health of the people who work there.
I think of this as a corollary to Conway's Law. The employment patterns in an industry reflect the power structures of that industry. And the Hollywood gig model reflects the power of the studios. Unstable, decentralized employment is a response to stable, centralized economic power.
I love the idea of working for a small consulting firm, and being able to specialize in the things I really love to do. But we as an industry should be very, very careful about what other industries we model ourselves on.