Why Freelancers and Online Teachers Should Collaborate, Not Compete
There is plenty of room for all of us.
The myth of scarcity dies hard.
In the digital bazaar of today’s world where freelancers, online teachers, consultants, and creators share digital space like stars in a galaxy — we’re still too often caught in a gravitational pull of competition.
It’s a pull that whispers, “If they get the gig, you don’t.” “If they grow, you shrink.”
But that is the voice of an old world. One where resources were physical, finite, and bound by gatekeepers. That’s not the world we’re building now.
Symbiosis isn’t selflessness. It’s a better kind of self-interest.
The world we inhabit is fluid, vast, and interwoven. And I believe it’s time we started acting like it.
In truth, there’s plenty for all of us
And more than that, there’s need for all of us. Not in isolation, but in harmony. The gig economy isn’t a colosseum, and teaching online isn’t a zero-sum game.
What we need now is what nature has always modeled. Mutualistic symbiosis. Freelancers and online educators, especially, have everything to gain by collaborating more and competing less. Why? Because we’re building the infrastructure of knowledge, autonomy, and skill-sharing for a future that’s already arriving.
Let’s unpack the case for a partnership mindset. No platitudes and no business-school buzzwords. Just grounded reflection and a dash of cosmic perspective.
The Bell Curve and the People Behind Us
Every skill, every marketable craft, every trade, every form of expression — they all have a bell curve. A few are outliers at the top, many are average, and others are just starting out, unsure, fumbling with the basics. Those “behind” us on the curve aren’t competitors. They are the future allies and co-builders of the communities we haven’t even dreamed of yet.
They’re also the people most in need of guidance. Not just information, but human connection. And who better to offer it than those who’ve walked just a little farther up the path?
- If you’re a freelancer who’s mastered pricing strategy, you could save someone months of trial-and-error by simply sharing your invoice template and telling them why you price the way you do.
- If you’re an online teacher with a polished course funnel, there’s someone out there stuck in tech hell, wishing someone would just explain Kajabi like a friend.
This isn’t about charity or sainthood. It’s about recognizing the web we’re all part of, and strengthening it.
Because here’s the cosmic joke. The people you help today are often the very people who refer you, collaborate with you, or invite you into bigger opportunities tomorrow.
Symbiosis isn’t selflessness. It’s a better kind of self-interest.
The lie of the lone genius
One of the most persistent illusions in modern culture is the myth of the lone genius. The heroic figure who claws their way to success, innovates in a vacuum, and wins the game solo. But if you look closely at every great “lone” success, what you’ll often find is a hidden ecosystem. That successful person has mentors, colleagues, collaborators, and invisible hands shaping their path.
In freelancing and online teaching, this illusion becomes especially corrosive. You see someone launch a six-figure course and think, “I need to beat them.” But maybe, just maybe, what you need is to join them.
Reach out. Offer something that complements what they do. Offer your design chops for their next cohort. Ask them what didn’t work and what nearly broke them. Share your own stumbles in return. This is how actual networks form. Not through cold DMs and funnel hacking, but through shared vulnerability and real help.
Nobody thrives alone. Not sustainably. Not for long.
Competition is a tool, not a religion
Now let’s be honest. Some competition is good. It sharpens the edge. It shows us what’s possible. But treating competition as the default mode of interaction is like trying to cook every meal with fire and nothing else. Sometimes, what you need is water. Or warmth. Or soil.
I was listening to a fabulous interview between and Dr. Sarah Stein Lubrano today and they were talking about the balance of cooperation and competition in politics. Just listening to it made me feel smarter!
But as freelancers, we often find ourselves hoarding client secrets, fearing our peers will “steal” our niche. Online teachers often panic when someone launches a similar course. But this thinking assumes a flat, frozen world where no one changes and no one innovates.
The truth is, the more great people there are teaching similar things, the more the market grows. You’re not fighting over scraps. You’re laying out a feast.
You want better clients? Help raise the standard of freelancing overall. You want more engaged students? Help others teach more effectively. You want to feel like you’re part of something bigger? Then build with others, not against them.
The symbiotic mindset is practical! Not just poetic.
This isn’t just feel-good philosophy. It’s pragmatic. Collaboration expands reach. Shared resources reduce burnout. Cross-promotion widens your audience. And joint projects unlock insights you would’ve never found solo.
Some ways I want to start getting more mutual in my own world include:
- Skill Swaps: Trading talent with someone whose strength complements yours. Designer meets writer. Tech wizard meets community builder.
- Co-Teaching: Running workshops with a fellow educator. Modeling collaboration for your students while doubling your value.
- Referral Loops: When I’m booked or out of scope, refer interested leads to people you trust. Build networks that want to refer you back.
- Transparent Sharing: Be open about my process. Not just my wins, but my experiments, my mistakes, and my lessons learned.
And I don’t just want to do this to benefit myself. I also want to help the people behind me. Answer questions in forums. Offer a beginner a 15-minute call. Give away the thing you wish you had five years ago.
A better world. Not just a better brand
This work we do — teaching, freelancing, sharing skills online — isn’t just economic activity. It’s cultural infrastructure.
We’re laying down the mental roads that others will travel. If we build those roads with fear and competition, they become toll roads and dead ends. But if we build them with generosity, with trust, and with creative partnership, they become open highways.
My nerdy GenX inner child imagines us all like dragons flying over the same skies. Each of us magnificent in our own right, but stronger when we acknowledge each other’s presence. Or as Alan Watts might say, we are not separate drops in a sea of freelancers. We are the sea, momentarily expressing itself in these curious forms.
It’s time to let go of the hustle-for-one mentality and embrace the dance of interconnection. There is plenty for all of us. And more than that, there is meaning in building together.
Not just to survive.
But to thrive.
To lift.
And to leave something better behind.
© Copyright July 2025 Kaia Maeve Tingley | All Rights Reserved
