Thriv talent spotlight: Kai-Mikael Alanne

In this blog post series, you will get to know the stories behind our talents. Why did they become entrepreneurs, how have their experiences with Thriv been, and where do they want to be in the future? Without further ado, let’s get familiar with Kai-Mikael Alanne, a lead developer who started his freelancer career only six months ago.

How did you become interested in entrepreneurship?

Actually, I had never really aimed at becoming an entrepreneur. I had been working at Futurice, the parent company of Thriv, for over seven years and really liked it. I had paved my way from web developer to project lead, and finally to technical lead.

When climbing up the hierarchical ladder, I realised that I was moving further away from what I enjoyed the most, the development work itself. In brief, I was mainly sitting in meetings and making sure that developers in my team got their work done. I wanted to get back to developing software myself, without compromising my paycheck.

How did your path cross with Thriv?

While leading projects at Futurice, I had recruited several external consultants through Thriv. I could see the benefits of working as a freelance developer from a short distance: these senior level experts got the freedom to choose what kind of projects to work with and the luxury to do the actual coding work. In addition, understanding how much freelance IT consultants were earning was another motivator for me to consider a career change.

I decided to reach out to Thriv and a couple of other tech talent agencies just to map out the options. Thriv was the first company to approach me with a suitable project and the rest is history.

How was the matchmaking process at Thriv?

The whole process with Thriv was smooth and caring from the very beginning. The talent specialists started to actively look for a suitable project for me after I had got accepted into the Thriv network. Only after a month since joining the pool, they reached out to me and said that they had managed to find a project that suited my skills and interests.

After a successful interview, the client communicated to Thriv that they wanted to hire me and Thriv sent me the contract the next day. I put up my own company over the weekend and was able to sign the contract on Monday. Starting your own company isn’t hard, as some might think. In addition, there are several great online sources for aspiring freelancers, for example the Freelancing in Finland -guide by Sam Hosseini, that are very helpful.

How would you describe your financial situation as an entrepreneur?

By becoming a freelancer, I downgraded my day-to-day work from managerial tasks to development work and upgraded my level of income. The revenue stream has been much more attractive compared to what I was earning as an employee. In addition, I have been able to control how much salary I pay to myself and grow the financial buffer of my company, for example through investments.

What would you tell someone dreaming about entrepreneurship?

I encourage everyone interested in entrepreneurship to shake off their insecurities and take the first step toward their dreams. A great place to start is to send an application to the Thriv network and see where it takes you. To me, Thriv has proved to be an extremely valuable partner on my entrepreneurial journey.

Find more information about the freelance journey of Kai-Mikael on Instagram @koodalanne.

Ready to discover the future of work? Apply to our tech talent network and get one step closer to your dreams.