In 2011, two talent managers from the music industry, known for working with artists like John Mayer and Vanessa Carlton, joined forces with a software engineer to launch what would become a new category in tech: a talent agency for engineers.
10x Management was founded in 2011 when two successful talent managers from the music industry, working with acts like John Mayer and Vanessa Carlton, teamed up with a software engineer to create what the company describes as the world’s first tech talent agency. What began as an unconventional idea has since evolved into a platform connecting elite freelance engineers with companies ranging from startups to large enterprises.
“10x began with a simple premise – find the best contract tech talent and match them with the world’s most amazing companies. Today, we’re helping match the best contract tech talent with groundbreaking companies – from VC-backed startups to midcap and enterprise-level organizations,” said Eric Frisch of 10x Management.
Redefining the “10x Engineer”
The term “10x engineer” has long carried a mix of hype and skepticism in the tech world. At 10x Management, the definition is grounded in measurable impact and continuous growth.
“A 10x engineer is a world class engineer that hones their craft everyday and makes an outsized, meaningful impact at organizations. The talent we represent is vetted for technical aptitude, real world experience, and communication ability. That means 10x represents engineers that keep their skills sharp on new and exciting projects, stay up to date with the latest languages and AI coding tools, and deftly explain their work to clients,” said Frisch.
As engineering roles evolve, communication and product thinking are becoming just as critical as technical execution.
A Structured Approach to Freelance Talent
While freelance platforms have made it easier than ever to find talent, they have also introduced complexity for companies trying to identify the right fit. 10x Management’s model is built around a streamlined process.
“We have a simple, winning formula: Vet, Match, Support,” said Frisch.
“In practice, that means that we’ve vetted some of the greatest freelance engineering talent available. When a client approaches us about a project, we pride ourselves on our ability to match the right engineer to the project. And we’re there to support the project the entire way,” he added.
The Hiring Challenge
Despite the abundance of platforms and networks, companies still struggle to navigate the freelance hiring landscape.
“There’s a lot of noise out there. There are so many options to choose from when it comes to finding talent, whether it be through online marketplaces or freelance talent platforms, personal networks, or recruiting firms. That’s the first challenge – where do you go? Where do you start? The second challenge is how do you get meaningful results from an outside contributor? Can I ensure that the person I’m bringing onboard has done this before and has the necessary experience?” said Frisch.
This uncertainty has fueled demand for curated networks that emphasize quality over quantity.
Why Senior Engineers Are Going Freelance
At the same time, more experienced technologists are opting out of traditional employment in favor of independent work.
“It’s not for everyone, but there are a lot of reasons that a senior technologist might want to choose freelance over full-time: more variety of interesting work and projects, more flexible lifestyle, different phases of life, more freedom to choose your own projects. There are also reasons that senior technologists might prefer full-time roles: more stability, less uncertainty,” said Frisch.
The trade-off between flexibility and stability continues to shape how talent moves across the industry.
AI Is Changing the Game
The rise of AI is beginning to reshape both how software is built and what companies expect from engineers.
“I’d say that we’re seeing a fair amount of demand for product-minded engineers right now – people that can help guide organizations with engineering leadership and higher level engineering decisions as opposed to just pure coders. AI is shifting the landscape – a lot of repetitive coding tasks are being handled by AI. And it’s exciting in a lot of ways! People are experimenting with building their own apps, things that used to be done by engineers, someone might say, “I’m gonna try and vibe code that.” We’ll see how long it lasts.” said Frisch.
As automation takes over routine tasks, the value of strategic and architectural thinking is rising.
Where Demand Is Growing
The types of projects companies are outsourcing are also shifting, reflecting broader industry needs.
“Right now we’re doing some legacy system upgrading that is really benefiting a company. We’re also helping a handful of startups define their data models and full stack engineering needs. We’re also starting to see a ton of demand on the Machine Learning/AI/Python engineering side – helping companies build out chatbots and the backends of some of these large language models (LLMs),” said Frisch.
From modernizing legacy infrastructure to building AI-driven systems, freelance engineers are increasingly involved in mission-critical work. Forecasting the future of tech talent is notoriously difficult, particularly in an industry defined by rapid change.
“It’s so hard to predict. 5 years ago, people were all in on blockchain. Today, everyone’s all in on AI. I think AI is definitely here to stay, and it’s advancing really quickly. I think we’ll get to a world where freelance software engineers are overseeing AI code and likely building infrastructure of projects that have been vibe coded but now need more sustainable foundations built underneath them,” said Frisch.
If that vision holds, the role of the engineer will continue to evolve, from writing code to overseeing and shaping the systems that generate it.
