Structure Over Spec: Why creative professionals MUST set terms, NOT chase promises.

If you're in the creative, you know the pitch: “We’re looking for someone to help us shape our deck, line up a few investors, maybe advise on the raise.” And when you ask about anything beyond the budget? Silence. Or worse, they say, “We’re offering equity.” This is the first broken link in the chain. The expectation that serious, high skill work can be requested cold from professionals in exchange for a vague promise of future reward is not only structurally unsound, it’s unsustainable.

Spec work, light strategy calls, and one-off advisory roles paid in equity have become the language of amateurs. These asks often come from individuals or teams who haven’t taken the time to validate their concept, secure even minimal funds, or map out a real monetization pathway. Yet they expect seasoned professionals to drop in and do heavy lifting based on passion alone. That’s not bold. That’s naïve. It suggests the project is already off track before it begins.

If you're serious enough to build a business, raise capital, or make a film, then the expectation should be that you compensate the people who are essential to your process. Real work deserves real payment. When someone approaches a legitimate, hardworking consultant, especially one who manages real capital or advises on institutional funding and tries to rope them in without compensation, it doesn’t demonstrate ambition. It telegraphs a lack of structure...and in 2025, that's a dealbreaker.

The idea that high-profile or boutique clients deserve more leniency is another layer of the problem. These clients, often backed by recognizable names or capital, are assumed to be credible. So when they say “we’ll get you paid on equity...or...eventually,” people tend to lower their guard. But credibility is not compensation, and reputation without follow-through, is just marketing. Too many people remain trapped in this limbo, seduced by the prestige of association but left chasing invoices for months.

The power imbalance is stark. The clients who delay payments the longest are frequently the ones with the most resources. They use their status as leverage to extract deliverables, while the people doing the actual work are told to “be patient,” or that it’s “with finance.” These are stall tactics. They’re not just bad for business, they’re disrespectful. When a creative or consultant sets clear boundaries and insists on their full rate upfront, the response is often some version of “Don’t you believe in this project?” As if having standards somehow means you’re not a team player. It’s manipulative and it’s outdated.

This leads to the bigger issue with the unsolvable tradeoff between cash flow and credibility. You can take fast-paying, low-glory work that pays the bills but doesn’t grow your brand. OR you can aim for prestige clients such as agencies, studios, funds who offer long-term upside but rarely pay on time and often treat your availability as a given. This isn’t just a philosophical choice, it’s an economic trap. There are very few ways out of it unless you are able to establish a different kind of professional standard from the outset.

This problem is systemic. Founders and filmmakers are coached to pitch big and worry about structure later. That’s how you get entire slates of projects staffed by unpaid 'producers' promised equity, and pitch decks built on air. When those projects fail, they don’t just waste the creator’s time, they burn the bridges of every legitimate expert who got roped in under the illusion that they were part of something real.

That’s why more serious professionals, like myself, are demanding retainers before any engagement. The point ISN'T greed. The point is to filter out unserious clients. A modest upfront fee is a line in the sand. It’s what separates the people who are ready to build from the people who are still playing dress-up. When someone refuses to pay you but insists they’ll “circle back” once the raise is complete, that’s not a sign of future partnership, it’s a red flag waving in plain sight.

None of this is hypothetical. Unpaid invoices are not minor inconveniences, they are the main reason freelancers or startups burn out and walk away from otherwise viable careers. Late payments don’t just strain your bank account, they drain your energy and create cycles of stress and distraction that make it harder to focus on real work. You can’t build the next thing when you’re chasing checks from the last one. You’re stuck in neutral both financially and emotionally.

The worst part? You start to feel like the problem is you. You debate whether to follow up again. You worry that being assertive will make you seem desperate and so you let it go. Then you let another one go and eventually, the only thing you’re building is resentment. This is not sustainable and it’s not professional. It’s a silent crisis for independent creatives who do real work and are left holding the bag when a “partner” forgets to send payment.

I’ve lived this time and time again. I work with serious investors. People who have made their lives investing in the future. I don’t get to gamble on ego or potential. I’m paid to assess structure, manage capital, and bring projects to life with real dollars and real strategies.

I don’t play games, I certainly don’t chase clients, and I don’t work on spec. My job is not to help someone find their vision, it’s to build the infrastructure that gets it funded. And if that’s not understood from day one, then it’s not a project I can engage with. I know my worth, and SO SHOULD ALL OF YOU!

The creative industry DOES NOT have a labor shortage, It has a REPSECT shortage. People want high-level work without putting anything real on the table. That has to change. 

If you’re reading this and you’re a freelancer, a producer, a consultant, by God, set your terms upfront. Get your contracts or agreements in place. Require payment before delivery. And most of all, don’t be afraid to walk away from clients who think they’re doing you a favor by hiring you. You don’t need more exposure. 

You need cash flow. You need peace of mind. You need structure.

The people who truly respect your work will respect your terms. The ones who don’t? Let them find someone else to do it for free.

When passion doesn’t pay, only structure will keep you in the game..