Mechanical turk work is like working for Uber. When someone sits in an Uber, no one cares who’s driving the Uber, if you’re a good enough Uber driver you’re done. The good news about being a mechanical turk kind of freelancer is you never have to worry about any marketing. You never have to worry about how you get your next gig. The bad news is that you’re generic. You’re a cog in a system that’s run by somebody else.
2. The Handyman
The handyman gets the gig because she’s handy, right around the corner, the easiest one to get hold of. There’s an advantage to being a handyman if there are lots of people around you who need what you do.
3. The Craftsman
The craftsman is somebody who has invested enough in the craft that they are demonstrably a little better than the next person. And so the business or the consumer who’s looking for a freelancer says, well, I pick you because you’re a little better.
4. The Unique
To be unique is a whole different ball game. To be unique is to be the one and only. The one who will be bragged about by name. The one who will be asked for by name. It is difficult to be the one who is unique but it is worth it.
5. The Remarkable
This is the person who does work that we must talk about. He does work that stands out, merely because it is worth talking about. His work is so far forward that it has a name unto itself.
So you have to decide, are you someone who does a job or are you a brand? What it means to be a brand is to make promises that stand for something that is unique.
Source: Seth Godin