I recently posted about trying to be in a position where you could do awesome work with great people, even if for very low or no pay as it is more likely to lead to better results than doing work you don’t care as much for.
Many people said this was a luxury only the elite or wealthy could afford. I couldn’t disagree more. In fact, as I’ve written elsewhere, lack of income can be an asset. We tend to live up to our earnings. Those with a less costly lifestyle are more able to jump on opportunities that don’t pay well upfront. The whole point of the post was that it’s good to be in a position where you are most free to seize on opportunities even if they don’t have an immediate paycheck. Avoid or reduce debt, cut expenses, maintain a minimalist life, be productive so you can do more with less time, try to save some money, etc.
You may have to or want to work a job you don’t care for and earn money for 60 hours a week but that still doesn’t preclude you from going to that awesome local marketing firm you’re interested in and begging them to do 20 hours a week of work even if they can’t pay you. I contend that the latter will be more beneficial to you long term than the former, and if you work hard and well might turn into more pay as well.
The post was not about working for free. The post was about being free. The freer you are to jump on great opportunities the better, and the more things that make that hard you can eliminate the better.