Do you get much stress in terms of sometimes not being “rapid” enough, not having anyone to rely on apart from yourself (assuming you’re solo), and finding business?
Not really, because I always maintain at least a few clients so I'm not too worried about losing one. Once you have a solid pipeline, losing a client becomes just part of the business, not the scary emotional experience of "getting fired".
And I have a network of other independents I can bring in to help out with things. They're a good source of leads for me as well.