In this conversation, Bradley Jacobs interviews Taylor Crane, the founder of Fractional Jobs, about his experience as a fractional head of product and his journey in starting his own company. They discuss how Taylor found his first clients through his network and social media, the challenges of finding clients and talent in the fractional space, and the different types of fractionals that companies are hiring. They also touch on the debate around the nomenclature of fractional work and the importance of bringing expertise and immediate value to the table. The conversation explores the challenges and strategies of finding fractional work and creating a successful business as a fractional leader. The main theme is the need for fractional leaders to think and act like business owners, particularly in terms of sales and marketing themselves. The conversation also touches on the imbalanced market between the growing demand for fractional leaders and the limited number of projects available. The importance of evangelizing the benefits of fractional work to companies is highlighted as a potential solution. The conversation concludes with the idea that the fractional movement is inevitable and the need for individuals to join the journey and make an impact in the space.
Key Takeaways
1. Finding clients for fractional work often starts with leveraging your network and reaching out to second-degree connections.
2. The most common fractional roles are in marketing, engineering, and design, but there is demand for a wide range of functions.
3. The distinction between fractional work and consulting lies in the level of execution and expertise brought to the table.
4. If a role exists in a full-time capacity, it should also exist in a part-time or fractional capacity.
5. Focus on the problem you can solve for a company, and the arrangement can be negotiated later. Fractional leaders need to think and act like business owners, particularly in terms of sales and marketing themselves.
6. The market for fractional work is imbalanced, with a growing demand for fractional leaders and a limited number of projects available.
7. Evangelizing the benefits of fractional work to companies can help unlock more projects and balance the market.
8. The fractional movement is inevitable and individuals should join the journey and make an impact in the space.
To learn more about Mylance visit: mylance.co
To find out more about Fractional Jobs visit: FractionalJobs.io
Follow Bradley Jacobs:
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Follow Taylor Crane:
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00:00 Intro
01:37 Where do you find your first clients?
05:46 Finding clients is the biggest challenge in the fractional space
09:00 How do you define "fractional" work
12:04 What's the difference between "fractional" and "consultant"
13:18 What kind of projects are fractionals working on?
15:58 Is there a market out there for my service?
21:15 What does the fractional market look like right now?
24:07 What does the ideal fractional ecosystem look like?
26:46 Building the fractional ecosystem
29:55 What's the most important skill for any business owner?
32:42 Sharing stories on fractionals learning to market themselves
35:07 Words of wisdom for the Mylance community