I think the faster we can move away from all or nothing thinking, the faster the marketplace can be reshaped into a more equitable power relationship between buyers and sellers, and hence between the exchange of value. For me it’s not so much that free is more pure, and therefore better. It’s that free was a bold and rebellious statement against the propriety, bully, and rigid business prcatices of Microsoft et al. In time though, to be all or nothing, regardless if it is all free or all bloated profits, to me will just maintain a concentration of wealth. The power may be shifting, but if the money is still held by a relative few, then they will almost have a natural leg up in the marketplace.

I think the good news is that technology enables new careers, new relationships, along with new products and services, and it is starting to bring faster rewards to those who take the chance to do what they love and trust that the money will follow. I am pretty imaginative but I do not yet see a future where money holds no value or power. For now, most of us are still engaged in the process of trading products and services for a paycheck and vice versa.

As a Berkeley grad who has not abandoned all her youthful idealism, I love the possibilities that are being presented by and to the many budding entrepreneurs. Small businesses face cash flow issues on a daily basis. We can’t do everything for free, because we are not collecting a salary on the side to buy food and pay rent. We only get paid when we deliver something of value to our customers. With small companies, the line is much more blurred between the business and the individual. We are both, all day long. We cannot hide behind a large corporate structure and blame unpopular pricing or policies on some other department. If we are not successful, we can’t write paychecks to anyone, including ourselves.

The days of extreme concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few Bill Gateses, Michael Eisners, and Phil Knights, I see (slowly) coming to an end. There is no way that any of those men is 1 – 6 billion “times” smarter or more valuable than the rest of us. Technology is leveling the playing the field. The luck that was bestowed on a few – though often interpreted as genius – now is spreading around more.

I am grateful to all of the employed people who can write and contribute free code while at their regular jobs – a mini-subversion in itself. But to me it is not a sustainable model. I am more radical than that. I imagine the recirculation of Bill Gates’ $65 billion of accumulated wealth, and it blows my mind what we “foot soldiers on the street” could create with it!

And for any hard core capitalists who may be reading this, I do not mean redistribution by handout, but by fair compensation for a day’s work well done, a good idea contributed to the pool. One of Bill’s ideas or hours is just not that much more valuable than one of mine, and I don’t see why he should be paid so much more for one of his. I actually think he should be penalized at this point as his products have single-handedly stymied day-to-day business and created a huge opportunity for spyware, viruses, and worms! When will the marketplace appropriately adjust for that?

Blogs/people that inspired this post:

Citizen’s Media

Rejoice! The software is pure again!

Ryan Ozawa – an original web diarist

Mary Schmidt’s blog

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This site was originally conceived as a place to discuss the transition in consciousness that is taking place. I have now begun what I intend to be a podcast series on this transition and how it can be embraced in every day life.

In this podcast, I introduce the transition concept and discuss how it applies to two confusing issues: murder and failure!

Failure: “an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose”
Note there is no moral downside in the actual definition, though the word “failure” often conveys a negative emotional response.

itt-2005-04-24.mp3 [6.9mb (15:15) 64kbps]

Sites mentioned in the podcast:

Santa Fe Institute

Mary Schmidt’s Blog

Shaina Noll’s web site

There’s a new blogger on the block. And it’s a woman! Not that that matters, but it somehow does. I mean there are plenty of women in technology, yet the math still works out that there are far more men as bloggers, podcasters, coders, etc.

Mary Schmidt and I met at a tech venture capital meeting a few years ago. She became a client of ours at Bare Feet Studios, and we have also become friends with a joint membership in the rant and rave club.

I’m betting she’ll make a great blogger. Why? She’s got loads of opinions, brains to match, and (probably) enough time to keep it alive. As for me, I just get to take credit for being the first to link to Mary!

Visit her brand spankin’ new blog here:
Mary Schmidt

We the people are uniformly and without exception, living on the planet with the ability to make mistakes.

Business is run by humans. So by straightforward linear thought, businesses are not infallible either. If anything, the larger the biz, the more oportunity for glitch! Mistakes happen. So why do people become so indignant?

My flight at SFO (san francisco) has just been cancelled and we have been moved to a new gate and a new time. Without doubt this is irritating. It means for me, and many others, delays, missed connections, and possibly even missed events. I am just in from HNL (honolulu) on the red eye, with a total of 4 hours of semi-snooze in the upright position. I will land in ABQ (albuquerque) without time to shower and nap before my event this evening, unlike my original routing.

The cause? The plane is newly painted, and the rear door is painted shut! What a tale. The young and pompous cannot repeat enough, “How lame!” The gate agent whispered to me later, “I hope the painter doesn’t get fired.” To which I replied, “Yes, unless this is the 6th time s/he’s done it!”

This cost United a pretty penny. I am confident they are handling the problem, and don’t need my indignance to spur them into action.

Here’s to hoping I don’t make too many “dumb” mistakes this week myself. If I do, just remember, I’ll be fixing them straight away.