Why I stopped calling myself a digital nomad
The term 'digital nomad' lumps three different groups under one label. The founders making real structural decisions about jurisdictions and tax need a different word — and a different community.
By Alex Diaz
The label stopped being useful.
Key takeaways:
- “Digital nomad” lumps three different groups under one label — lifestyle tourists, aspiring entrepreneurs, and location-independent founders
- Each group needs completely different things: wifi tips vs. accountability vs. flag theory frameworks
- Most “nomad communities” optimize for group one. Group three is underserved.
- What actually works for founders: small curated groups, async-first, peer accountability, substance over vibes
- The word that fits: founder. The location independence is implied by the structure.
I still live between Switzerland and the Dominican Republic, run my business remotely, and haven’t had a traditional office in over a decade. Nothing changed about the lifestyle. But the term “digital nomad” now describes a scene I don’t recognize — and more importantly, it doesn’t help me find the people I want to talk to.
Three groups, one label
“Digital nomad” conflates three completely different groups:
| Group | What They Do | What They Need |
|---|---|---|
| Lifestyle tourists | Work remotely for a few months, usually employed, travel is the primary goal | Coworking recommendations, visa tips, cafe wifi speeds |
| Aspiring entrepreneurs | Building something, pre-revenue, testing ideas while traveling | Accountability, honest feedback, community |
| Location-independent founders | Running profitable businesses, making structural decisions about jurisdictions and tax | Flag theory frameworks, business evaluation tools, peer founders at similar scale |
A lifestyle tourist needs to know which café has the best wifi. A location-independent founder needs to know whether a company managed from the DR creates a PoEM problem. These aren’t the same conversation.
The conferences, Slack groups, and content ecosystem that calls itself “digital nomad” is built for group one. Group three is underserved. That’s the gap.
What location-independent founders actually care about
The founders I talk to share a few traits:
They run profitable businesses. Revenue high enough to make structural decisions about where to live, where to incorporate, and where to bank. The flag theory framework only matters once you have something worth structuring.
They think in systems. The question isn’t “where should I live next?” It’s “how do I distribute my life across jurisdictions so the structure compounds over time?” Destination is a variable. The system is the thing.
They treat location independence as a tool. A powerful one — but a tool for building a better structure, not an identity. Time zones are a logistics problem. Infrastructure matters more than scenery. The cost-of-living math matters more than the Instagram aesthetic.
They make intentional decisions. Moving to a territorial tax country to keep more of what they earn. Getting a second passport as optionality. Structuring companies across jurisdictions for substance and efficiency. These are structural choices, not lifestyle branding.
Why nomad communities don’t work for founders
Nomads move. Community requires staying. That tension breaks most “digital nomad communities” before they start.
The founder communities that actually work aren’t built around a location. They’re built around shared context — similar revenue scales, similar structural decisions, similar time horizons. You don’t need to be in the same city. You need to be in the same conversation.
What works:
- Small, curated groups with admission criteria beyond “pays the membership fee”
- Async-first communication — structured discussions that founders across time zones can participate in
- Peer accountability — show up with real numbers and real problems
- Events with substance — founders sharing actual structures, actual numbers, actual mistakes
What doesn’t work:
- Open Slack groups with 10,000 members and zero signal
- “Networking events” that are sales pitches
- Communities built around a single personality rather than a peer group
- Any group where “connect with like-minded people” is the value prop without defining what “like-minded” means
The word that fits
I don’t have a perfect replacement for “digital nomad.” “Location-independent entrepreneur” is accurate but clunky. “International founder” is vague. “Perpetual traveler” signals the wrong thing.
What I use: founder. The location independence is implied by the structure. The international dimension is a feature of the setup, not the identity. The business is the thing. Everything else — the residencies, the passports, the bank accounts, the flags — serves the business and the life around it.
FAQ
What’s wrong with calling yourself a digital nomad?
Nothing, if the label fits your situation. But the term has been diluted to mean anyone with a laptop and a passport. For founders making structural decisions about jurisdictions and tax, it doesn’t describe what they actually do. If the label groups you with the wrong peer group, it’s working against you.
Is this site only for people who travel?
No. It’s for founders who make intentional decisions about where to live, where to incorporate, and where to bank — whether they move constantly or stay in one place. Location independence is about having the option, not exercising it every month.
How do I find other founders doing this?
Look for communities with admission criteria, not just a membership fee. I’ve been part of the Dynamite Circle since 2021 — curated, revenue-qualified, async-first. Mastermind groups at your level are worth more than any Slack group with 10,000 members. NomadList is a good starting point if you’re earlier in the process.
Start with the 7 Flags Framework for the international structure, How I Evaluate Business Ideas for the bootstrapping side, and Cost of Living in Las Terrenas if you’re exploring the DR.