In the 5th century BC, Sun Tzu wrote the Art of War. Those very rules are still used today for a range of purposes. Welcome to the freelance edition. If you’re trying to win in a world where TikTok trends move faster than your deadlines and everyone thinks they’re the next Steve Jobs (but with a ring light), then here’s your cheat sheet. Ten rules. One ruthless vibe. Let’s go.

1. Winning without a price war is the ultimate flex — dominate the market without burning cash.

Honestly, nothing says “desperate energy” quite like working for free or low rates just to get a foot in the door. Congratulations, you’ve attracted bargain hunters who will ghost the second someone else offers free shipping and a novelty sticker. The true tactician wins without entering a discount-death spiral. You don’t undercut the market — you outclass it. You create a brand people aspire to buy from, not one they accidentally stumble across while looking for a coupon code.

2. Know your brand and stalk the competition like it’s your ex’s IG — info is power.

If you’re not lurking in the shadows of your competitor’s product launches with the intensity of someone decoding a Zodiac cipher, are you even in business? You need to know their every move — what they’re posting, how they’re pricing, whether their logo just had a suspiciously expensive-looking refresh. It’s not petty, it’s tactical reconnaissance. Call it what it is: business espionage, but make it FYP-friendly.

3. Work smarter, not harder — efficiency is the real MVP.

Ah yes, hustle culture: the strange cult where people mistake burnout for bravery and wear 3am email timestamps like a badge of honour. Spoiler: working yourself into a cortisol spiral isn’t strategy — it’s just bad management with a productivity app filter. The real power move is doing less, better. Automation is your bestie. Delegation is liberation. And no, you do not need another brainstorming Zoom that could’ve been an emoji reaction in Slack.

4. Stay unpredictable — if they can’t guess your next move, they can’t copy it.

Predictability is for thermostats and rail replacement services. You? You should be business jazz — a little chaotic, slightly unhinged, but impossibly compelling. Keep your competition guessing. Pivot when they think you’ll double down. Drop announcements no one saw coming. Launch a weird merch line just to see what happens. If your next move feels obvious, it probably means you’re about to be outplayed by someone more unhinged — and frankly, that’s embarrassing.

5. Adapt fast or get left behind — trends move quicker than a viral TikTok.

Nothing dates faster than a strategy that made sense six months ago. We are living in a world where a new microtrend can go from obscure to omnipresent to cringe in a matter of days. You have two options: be the brand that adapts like a shapeshifting lizard on an oat milk bender, or become a cautionary tale told through ironic tweets. Your call.

6. Only take big risks when the odds are stacked in your favour — no reckless YOLO moves.

There’s a difference between boldness and buffoonery, though admittedly LinkedIn seems to struggle with this nuance. Risk is good — when it’s calculated. When it’s strategic. Not when it’s just a chaotic pivot fuelled by cold brew and delusion. Don’t roll the dice unless you’ve counted the sides. A gamble without a plan is just a very expensive tantrum.

7. Build a fire team and a vibe that keeps everyone locked in.

Freelancers need freelancers. No one is an island. You want people around you who bring heat, not just CVs. Hire brilliance, not just competence. And for the love of sanity, build a culture that isn’t a mash-up of performative wellness and productivity guilt. The vibe should be electric, not exhausting.

8. Make competitors play your game — control the narrative and set the trends.

The real flex isn’t following trends — it’s making everyone else scramble to follow you. You want to be the brand they awkwardly try to emulate two quarters too late. Control the conversation, set the agenda, dictate the aesthetic. If your competitors are quoting you in their strategy decks, congratulations — you’re living rent-free in their business model. 

9. Secure the bag (funding, resources, network) before you go all in.

Manifestation is lovely — but so is liquidity. Don’t mistake vibes for venture capital. You need backing, scaffolding, and a network that doesn’t just hype you on Twitter but actually has the clout to move things. Stack your resources like you stack your playlists — with intention, depth, and enough variety to survive a pivot without collapsing like a failed NFT drop.

10. Never let ego run the business — stay cool, stay strategic, and always level up.

Ego: the silent saboteur of so many once-promising freelancers, now reduced to cringe Medium posts and cautionary case studies. The smart ones know when to shut up, listen, and change course. The dumb ones keep talking until the whole thing implodes. Stay sharp, stay self-aware, and never forget: progress beats peacocking. Always.

In the grand chessboard of 21st-century business, you don’t win by shouting the loudest or working yourself into oblivion. You win by being cleverer, quicker, cooler — and just unhinged enough to stay unforgettable. Outsmart. Outplay. Outlast. And don’t forget to hydrate.

Photo: Sebastian V.