E-commerce and Economic Democracy; are these two related?
Posted by Vida in Because Life Prevails. Always. on April 10th, 2008
Long ago, there was a time when markets were conversations.
“For thousands of years, we knew exactly what markets were: conversations between people who sought out others who shared the same interests. Buyers had as much to say as sellers. Market leaders were men and women whose hands were worn by the work they did. Their work was their life, and their brands were the names they were known by: Miller, Weaver, Hunter, Skinner, Farmer, Brewer, Fisher, Shoemaker, Smith.” (Cluetrain Manifesto)
Life expanded through perpetual flow of relationships within units and communities. “One to One” relationships were the building blocks.
Then came the “Industrial Age” with its shipping possibilities. We went beyond boarders, and the conversation was lost. It was lost in translation, and in vast impersonal infrastructures. It was the beginning of mass production, assembly lines and mass markets pushing mass consumption. It was the beginning of a “One to Many” model resulting in polarization and isolation. We called it “Commerce”, and the notion of “One to One Markets” was slowly forgotten.
Then came the “Information Age” with its digital capabilities. We pushed the goods and services farther, faster and more efficiently and we called it E-commerce. It promoted linear, vertical, hierarchical thinking and rewarded the ones with the tools. Economic Democracy became as foreign as “One to One First Markets”.
It’s not over yet. Now comes the “Conversation and Participation Age”, where “One to One” is back and in style again, and tools become widely accessible. Watch for a day when peer to peer E-commerce brings the magic of personal interactions and transactions to us. It is here already and it will not go away as long as you continue to engage in the conversation.
I will be writing more about this as it presents the fundamental core of my work. Stay with me here.
“BOOMERS” – Just do the math, Baby.
Posted by Vida in Because Life Prevails. Always. on April 7th, 2008
They never liked to be underestimated and they still don’t. There are almost 80 millions of them in the U.S. alone, with the oldest ones born in 1946 and the youngest in 1964. They are called the “Baby Boomers”. They represent a $2.1 Trillion market cap and are determined to change the face of retirement. They are not leaving the work force anytime soon.
Boomers and older entrepreneurs now account for 54 percent of self-employed workers with a growth rate of 29 percent. Seeking self satisfaction and financial independence, they work hard and plan to be a big part of the future. Their choice of staying active and choosing self employment can have a profound impact on the economy, both from the perspective of new job creation and decreased tax burden on the labor force. Web technologies can enable them as they strive for independence and self-sufficiency.
But, this generation works differently and plays differently. Outside of banking, email and other simple applications, web services remain underutilized by them. This is not due to lack of advanced or sophisticated technologies, rather due to a lack of direct collaboration between Boomers and an industry that is driven and run by young developers. This is a gap that can be bridged with little effort.
Imagine tapping into this vast, underserved market while enabling these Boomers as they continue to fuel the economy and live a more productive life.
Imagine the impact of their success on local economies and health systems in tangible and intangible ways.
Is it worth acknowledging the “Boom”?
The Collective Intelligence
Posted by Vida in Because Life Prevails. Always. on April 6th, 2008
Once or twice a year, I buy a lottery ticket when I feel very lucky or very desperate.
Last year, on December 11, 2007, I bought one ticket feeling both desperate and lucky. That week, I had worked really hard to figure out the ins and outs of various applications. I had struggled with code – HTML, CSS, etc. all week and was feeling lost, clueless and hopeless.
Brian Gardner, the developer whose services I use, was available but I felt ashamed to ask him the same simple questions repeatedly. By mid-day on December 11th, I knew I was lost, yet I kept at it. I searched Youtube for tutorials. I ran searches in my “Open Source” community. I posted questions on Brian’s support forum and kept insisting. It was a long, strange day. Hours went by and by the end of the day, I had most of my questions answered by one source or another, all by people who were offering their skills and their knowledge for free. By 9:00 p.m. that day, I knew my life would never be the same again. I had learned that I can find answers to almost any question as long as it could be digitally delivered. I learned that there was a magic parallel world out there, completely hidden to me and many others.
On my way back home, I checked my lotto ticket. I had not won a cent of course. But I couldn’t care less. I went on smiling as I felt richer than ever. I had won my way that day.
I had tapped into the collective intelligence. The true fountain of wealth.
Driven By Necessity…
Posted by Vida in Because Life Prevails. Always. on March 25th, 2008
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I strongly believe that economic deprivation is the cause of most social ills and issues in our urban neighborhoods.
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I am convinced that creative use of our advanced technologies can lead us to new “Wealth Generation” and “Wealth Distribution” models.
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I am consumed with this notion and believe that by strengthening our local economy, small and micro businesses, we can tap into yet unseen new markets and wealth. I have designed simple solutions towards development of this process.
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Project
Posted by Vida in Because Life Prevails. Always. on March 20th, 2008
Six million people start a new business with a calculator in their hand and a dream in their heart, each and every year in the United States. Eighty percent of them fail within the first 3 years. Thousands of others want to start their own ventures too; but they don’t. It’s too scary, too risky, too hard…and life goes on.
The first phase of this project focuses on making it all easier by bringing the “platform”, the “process” and the “products” together all at the same time; with individual’s pace and place in mind. All the technological resources are available to make this happen NOW.
I will be writing much more about the urgency and necessity of this project in my blog.
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