When choosing a career path, there is often a dichotomy between seeking autonomy or pursuing an apprenticeship-style role.
The freedom and independence that comes with autonomous work is enticing. This could involve starting your own business, freelancing, or working remotely in a position that allows you to be your own boss. Research shows that autonomy leads to greater work satisfaction, as people feel empowered and experience less burnout when they have more control over their work (Deci et al., 2001). However, the ability to control your schedule, choose your projects, and work when and how you want, comes with a trade off, that is under appreciated. Autonomous careers require growth by failure. Making mistakes teaches you how to do things right. Nobody gets it right the first time, and being your own boss means your failures, big or small, will be your most valuable teachers.
Apprenticeship-style careers offer the opportunity to learn hands-on from experts and masters in a field. This is common in training programs or analyst classes at large banks, consulting firms, or tech companies. These programs bring you under the wings of a experienced mentor. There is great value in learning from someone who has already navigated the path you want to take. Apprenticeships allow for less mistakes and more rapid skill development as you absorb the wisdom of veterans in your field. Research shows that learning is amplified when guided by an expert (Collins et al., 1989). Apprenticeships provide structure and support in the early stages of a career when knowledge and confidence are still developing.
Which path is best depends on personality, work style, and career goals. For independent self-starters, autonomous work may be more fulfilling. For those who value structure, guidance, and fear failure, an apprenticeship-style path may be preferable.
Many blend these styles over the course of a career. I often see founders come from traditional apprenticeship roles, ready to take on the challenges of company building. While analyst programs at McKinsey and Goldman, or APM programs at Google and LinkedIn are phenomenal training grounds, they, in many ways, teach the opposite skills required for successful company founding. These programs teach their students how to execute defined tasks, quickly and accurately. The KPI of an analyst is quality of output over time. Success means long hours, number crunching, and zero-mistake deliverables.
Company founding is the antithesis to this mentality (...something I learnt the hard way). It's about giving your brain space to problem solve, be creative. It's choosing a path, only to (hopefully) quickly realize it's the wrong one and course-correct. It's about flailing methodically to product-market fit. Investment banking doesn't teach you how to flail.
Overall, the dichotomy between autonomous and apprenticeship-style careers represents the classic tradeoff between freedom and structure. There are advantages to both paths, and each offers something important for personal and professional development. Knowing which path is best for you is the difference between entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs.
