In the old-old world, we were halves looking for a whole. ½ + ½ = 1 was the equation of our lives. We quoted Tom Cruise and we all wanted to be complete. Then, technology afforded us a little more freedom. With a bit of awareness, we invented Synergy. The paradigm took us from a world of delusion and illusion into an interdependent world of information that needed to be productive. That world is now over. Instead of creating equilibrium, meaning and happiness, our synergistic efforts produced a lot of waste, stress and negativity.
In a world of excess, we no longer need surplus. We need a unified collective. We need curation and decision systems to give us something that works. Something that is good enough. Nothing less, but especially nothing more. We don't need more, we need just right.
In our connected world where content is no longer king, we desperately need to find that one thing that gets the job done. Extra features are just distractions. In fact, there should no longer be extra features. If it does not contribute to a singular experience, or if it cannot be a part of the whole, then it should not be included in a product or service.
We need reliable, credible and trustworthy brands to give us all the plus ones we need when we need them. But, they must not take us away from that one thing we need to do.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states in Edge.org, "The idea that will change the game of knowledge is the realization that it is more important to understand events, objects, and processes in their relationship with each other than in their singular structure. Western science has achieved wonders with its analytic focus, but it is now time to take synthesis seriously."
Here's Shea Hembey, taking synthesis a hundred levels up.
Mike Masnick's TechDirt eloquently puts it in an elegant equation:
CwF + RtB = $$$
Connect with Fans and give them a Reason to Buy
This business model has proven to be viable in the past few years with Radiohead spearheading the informal, collective and revolutionary movement. Amidst the continued defensive thrashing of the old establishments (intellectual property, monopolies, scarcity), the band consistently proves that the "fan-driven economy" is viable.
The Internet is teeming with examples and it's a matter of time for a new post-scarcity economic theory to be formalized. I submit that the new paradigm will be based on Connectivism, which essentially solves Matt Mason's Pirate's Dilemma. Here are a few favorite examples:
3. Free games (Casual Games portals): Kongregate, y3
Free Lunch
Some commentators observed that if you are not paying for a product, then you are the product. In some ways, that is true. But, the concept of products, producers and consumers are mostly applicable in the old paradigm. In the relationship era, consumers have become co-producers, producers have become aggregators, and products are, for all intents and purposes, free. Valuation now comes from the meaning perceived by the fans that is provided by the artist/blogger/website in the form of purchasable goods or services or Reasons to Buy. Examples are exclusive consumer products like t-shirts, premium services like consulting or speaking gigs, and meaningful content like donations, subscriptions or virtual products.
Value of Relationships
The free product has become the initial spark that creates the connection. The connection is nurtured within the context of the relationship. The relationship is strengthened in time with trust and meaningful interactions. Interactions become transactional when the perceived value is monetized in the form of a book, a song or a plea for donation. The strong connection becomes a long-term access point for the transaction without the overhead costs of the old mediators.
The Answer
A haunting line from the movie Field of Dreams comes to mind, "If you build it, they will come." I never really understood what it meant until now. In the pull economy, the fans will tell you what they will pay for. So, here's the 5-step process on How To Profit If Your Main Product Is Free:
1. Create your free product. 2. Create points of interactions. 3. Create strong relationships with your followers. 4. Find out which interactions are valuable and meaningful. 5. Monetize those interactions by upgrading them into transactions.
We all want to change. Improve our eating habits and overall health. Do small things to improve the environment. Floss. Recycle. Moisturize and wear sunscreen. But, starting a change in our daily behavior is difficult without the right tools. Here is one tool I use to frame my goals.
Dr. Fogg of Stanford's Persuasion Tech Lab has formulated the behavior grid to help us clarify our actions into well-formed goals. I'm adding my interpretation of what behaviors would be effective in each behavior category.
One Time Big Time (Doing it once)
Behavioral change as a rule should work for us in the long term. My first impulse was to ask, "why are we even considering action that is only done once?" After looking at possible examples, I noticed that the acts in themselves are done once, but the overall impact have lasting effects.
Installation or First Encounters: An entirely new action once
Introducing yourself to influential people. Trying out different ice cream flavors. Installing a software program. Deciding to enroll in a fitness regime. Creating a plan of action. Writing your life's mission and vision.
Reinvesting for Another Look: You did it before, let's do it again
This include scheduled activities and reviewing good behaviors we've long forgotten. Updating goals. Going to the dentist.
Bargain Deals: Events-related improvement
If you plan to do just one thing, extend yourself. If you are going to volunteer your time for a couple of hours, why not volunteer for an entire day? If you participate in Earth Hour, why not make it a couple of Earth Hours?
Period of Awareness (Doing it for a duration)
A lot of times we are afraid to commit to something we are still uncertain of. We can try to convince ourselves by committing to a short period of time just to get the feel of this new thing.
Trial & Error: A new thing for a period of time
Just try it once or twice. It would be good if you were doing it in a safe environment. You could trick yourself into doing something with the pressure of peers. Or, if you are strong enough to do it by yourself then by all means, go do it in private.
Mindful Awareness: Observing and questioning a past failure
If you've done it before, why haven't you done it again? There must be something to it that you consciously or unconsciously did not like. This time, be aware of the factors that encourage, facilitate or disrupt your actions. For instance, it's hard to segregate garbage if you don't have a separate trash bin for the recyclables.
Calibration: Adjusting changes for a period of time
Now that you're convinced in doing something, you want to refine the behavior. If your goal is to eat smaller meals more frequently, you might try with 4 meals a day for a week, then 5 meals a day a week.
Changing with the Seasons: Abstinence for extended periods
Daylight Savings Time is a good example of an institutionalized behavioral change that is time-bound. You can also note other seasonal cues that will help you change your habits. For instance, in tropical countries, you can choose to stop watering your outdoor plants during the rainy season. During summer, cut your hair short to use less water when shampooing.
Committed Like A Pig: Complete change
A chicken is involved with making the egg, but a pig was committed to making the bacon. These are lasting behaviors that we truly want to integrate with our lives.
Forced: A new thing that makes sense
It is extremely difficult to force a new behavior into your daily activities unless it is enforced by law or by everyone around you. Seat belts are a very good example. Forcing yourself using self-help tools and sheer strength of will is also possible.
Strong Determination: Deciding to change
If you've done it before, you can do it again. This time you will need the full strength of your will power.
Lifestyle Change: Changing slowly but surely
Once you are convinced, you can taper your bad habits or you can slowly inculcate a good habit into your regular schedules.
Cold Turkey: I quit!
Some people can quit just like that. Are you one of them?
Richard Riley popularized the notion that "the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 didn't exist in 2004." He said this to push the idea that the most important thing a student can do today is to learn how to learn.
Moreover, although we can't predict future problems of future technologies that require new job descriptions, we can anticipate. By getting involved in actual practices in the industry, students can get the sense of the trends and can therefore adapt to the chaotic flux of change. In this kind of environment, students need the skill of creative solutions providing rather than prescriptive problem analysis. Education, then, needs to be informal and organic rather than formal and linear.
The current system forces companies to train entry level personnel to achieve minimum competence. This is done from a few weeks to a few months. Something that colleges and universities should have been doing for two to four years. If we take out the focus on diplomas, we will just have training centers. These schools of actual learning are partnered with companies to provide the exact skills that these companies are looking for in job candidates. In a sense, the companies are outsourcing their training department. It's totally a win-win-win situation.
