# Why You Shouldn't Start an Agency
**作者**: techbimbo
**日期**: 2026-01-21T00:09:37.000Z
**来源**: [https://x.com/jameygannon/status/2013765895001158100](https://x.com/jameygannon/status/2013765895001158100)
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Agency owners are lying to you. Every time they post about "scaling to seven figures," they leave out one critical detail: they're probably making less money than you are as a solo freelancer.
There's immense pressure in the creative industry to "grow." People act like staying solo is failure to launch. As if you're supposed to build a team, hire employees, and turn your practice into a Real Business™.
But here's the truth: successful independents don't care about scale because we make enough money already.
I've been a freelance brand designer for almost a decade. I've never had an employee, and until recently, I barely outsourced. If you're feeling insecure about not having a team, here's why I haven't "scaled" and how I'm thinking about doing it now (finally):
## Firstly, I like high margins
Let me start with the most important reason I've stayed solo: margins.
Right now, my margins are 90-100%. Everything I make (after tax), I keep — minus software subscriptions, and a laptop maybe every five years.
I'm not even sure if this number is right — seems high!
When you hire employees or contractors, your margin shrinks. Agency owners are lucky to keep 20-30% after payroll, overhead, benefits, supplies, and insurance.
To make what I make solo, they need 3-4x the revenue.
The business gets bigger, but the owner doesn't necessarily make more. They just have more stress.
## Secondly, good creative work is HARD
I'm a brand designer, and branding is different from other creative disciplines.
It's not like web design or product design where you can systematize deliverables and hire mid-level people to execute. Branding is taste-driven. If you get it, you get it. If you don't, no amount of templates will fix it.
That makes it really hard to work with junior creatives that are even remotely "affordable". Teaching taste while servicing clients at the level I'm known for is basically two full-time jobs.
If I were to bring someone on, it would probably look closer to an equal partnership. Which means splitting revenue. And now we're back to the margins problem — why would I give up half my income????
## What You're Actually Signing Up For
When you become an agency owner, you stop being a creative. You become a manager.
You're managing employee personalities, client expectations across multiple projects, cash flow, hiring and firing, and people's livelihoods.
For 80% of people who get into it, the agency lifestyle is miserable. You wanted to do more creative work. Instead, you're in Slack all day putting out fires and reviewing junior work that needs three rounds of revisions. You're taking on boring projects just because they pay more. You're adding on services and sales people just to compete.
Only the top 20% of agency owners actually see insane levels of success. And even then, most are outsourcing to independents like me anyway (under NDA, of course).
## When I Started Outsourcing (And Why It Works Now)
I'm just now beginning to outsource more seriously, but there are three reasons it's actually working:
One: I have almost a decade of experience. I can explain exactly what I want. I have templates, processes, and AI workflows I didn't have even a year ago. I'm confident in my direction and I know how to give it.
Two: I'm making real money. My average months are closer to $50K or $60K. I can afford to hire good, english-native, culturally attuned talent that makes my job easier, not harder.
Three: I don't need to scale. When I think about going from $300K-$500K in income to $1M or $2M, I'm not thinking about scaling services — and most smart people aren't either. I'm thinking about growing my supplement company (@sleepwithportal), investing, or honestly — can't I just be happy making over a quarter million a year doing work I enjoy?
Outsourcing should be a symptom of insane demand, not a strategy. You should have no other choice. If you're hiring because you feel like you "should," you're setting yourself up to be miserable.
## The Bottom Line
You're probably making more money with better margins and a better lifestyle than 80% of "agency" owners you see on X. (and obviously, that 20% of killers does exist)
The agency dream isn't all it's cracked up to be. High revenue doesn't mean high profit. A big team doesn't mean big success. And you might actually make less money in the long run.
Most creatives I know are optimizing for making a great living, having creative control, lifestyle flexibility, and work we actually enjoy.
An agency optimizes for revenue growth. That's a different game with different tradeoffs.
Neither is wrong, but don't let anyone tell you one is more "successful" than the other.
If you can't hit $30K, $40K, $50K months solo—especially today with AI and new tools—that's a skill issue, not a scale issue.
Building an agency won't fix that. It'll just multiply your problems. You'll go from "I can't land high-value clients" to "I can't land high-value clients AND I have payroll to cover."
The solution isn't more people. It's getting better at what you do and learning to charge appropriately.
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*导出时间: 2026/4/21 14:38:47*