The book `Remix` by Lawrence Lessig has proved one of the most fascinating reads of my life, perhaps speaking equally to value of the ideas it represents and my short list of books-read-in-my-lifetime. I aim to do more thoroguh posts on each chapter of the book in the future. But I`m currently on Chapter 7 Hybrid Economies, and I couldn`t sleep, and was feeling inspired. So here are some quick notes on this chapter and the ideas it inspires in me.
The previous chapter is `Two Economies: Commercial and Sharing`. A commercial economy is one in which transactions are negotiated based on price. Netflix is an example of a commercial economy. A sharing a economy is one in which transactions are negotiated based on a complex set of social values, rules and regulations. Wikipedia is an example of a sharing economy. A hybrid economy blends these two economies. YouTube is an example of a hybrid economy.
Reading through Lessig`s laundry list of hybrid economies on the internet, I`m inspired to jot down a few ideas of my own. Whether these are actually hybrid economies in Lessig`s sense I haven`t quite thought through, so I could use some feedback on that. Here are three ideas:
1) donationtraker.org - I was inspired by a recently watched TED talk to consider the concept of impulse giving (as opposed to impulse buying). Consider the website of your favorite non-profit. Is there a `Donate Now!` button at the top or on the homepage? Many non-profits are employing what my uncle referred to as `nudge psychology`, giving people an opportunity to decide to give a marginal amount of money on the fly. The idea of donationtracker.org would be to form a website to help individuals keep track of these impulse donations and manage them. A user could budget the amount of money they`d like to donate to an array of organizations over a given period of time, say a month. Then, whenever you happen to be surfing on moveon.org or Doctors Without Borders or whatever, and you click donate now, a message is sent to your donationtracker.org account. This message could have all sort of valuable information and uses. For example, record keeping for tax deduction; employing the same technology as pandora or amazon, recommending non-profits you might like to donate to in the future; and just helping you budget your donations and informing you if you are going over budget. This sort of website is just one strategy to encourage such concepts as impulse giving or impulse saving.
2) AMPS (Audio Media Production Syndicate) - Think `the music co-op.` Does your city or campus or whatever community your in have a music co-op? Maybe it should. I`ve been wanting to start one for years ever since college. Think a record store, equipment sharing, information sharing/education center, musician:s network, collaboration space all in one. My interest here is mainly in creating a network of DJs, but I guess I could make allowances to let guitarists in as well. :P Not only would this involve a website with forums and craigslist.org-like classifieds, but actual real life collaboration, actual people in actual places starting music co-ops to share their knowledge, resources, time, energy, etc., to bring people together as only collaborative music can. If you already have an existing production company or record label, consider putting `Powered by AMPS` on your promotional material or CD jacket. Doesn`t that just sound cool?
3) Party for Peace Productions - If I ever start a production company, this is what I`d want it to be called. Concept is to throw great parties at a low cost, and put a portion of the profits toward charitable causes. Pretty much just a reworking of benefit concerts. It`s likely the production company would have to start out locally. I`m thinking San Francisco is really the ideal place for it, though NY, Tokyo or just about any major city would probably be worth a shot. The concept is to partner with locally based non-profits to help them plan fundraising events. At first, the parties would be more geared toward the capacity of the production crew to throw an awesome party. Over time, the business model would expand to accomodate the needs of different organizations and evolve to include a party planning contingent as well as just producers. For example, say a non-profit working for fair housing in Brooklyn wants to throw a party to raise money (and have fun) in NYC. Party for Peace would meet with the staff and assess what kind of party they would like to have, then set about producing said party. NOTE THAT ALL PLANNING WOULD BE DONE AT NO COST TO THE NON-PROFIT THEMSELVES. Revenue from the concert/party itself would go into paying for the cost of the party, raising substantial funds for the non-profit, and keeping Party for Peace sustainable. Naturally Party for Peace would want to consider adopting a non-profit ethic/business model for itself. In the case above, Party for Peace would recruit local artists and volunteer producers as much as possible. As I see it, it`s as much of a win-win situation as you can get in a production company: fun parties for non-profit workers who would probably be partying anyway and lord knows need some fun once the weekend comes around; raising money for good causes; giving exposure to local artists and upcoming talent who need a platform to build experience; helping those of us who like to party but don`t like our addiction to consumerism feel a little bit better about having fun with our friends on the weekend by creating a community of people who want to support each other to live better lives. (OK, this is definitely turning into a huge stretch. Should I create a `please criticize the hell out of this post icon` to solicit (de)constructive criticism?)
Chances are that prototypes of all these ideas are out there. I`d love your help in finding them. I`m also not sure whether all three meet the criteria of Lessig`s hybrid economies, or how they could or to what extent. Your comments could really help think these things through and go a step further putting thought into action.
The previous chapter is `Two Economies: Commercial and Sharing`. A commercial economy is one in which transactions are negotiated based on price. Netflix is an example of a commercial economy. A sharing a economy is one in which transactions are negotiated based on a complex set of social values, rules and regulations. Wikipedia is an example of a sharing economy. A hybrid economy blends these two economies. YouTube is an example of a hybrid economy.
Reading through Lessig`s laundry list of hybrid economies on the internet, I`m inspired to jot down a few ideas of my own. Whether these are actually hybrid economies in Lessig`s sense I haven`t quite thought through, so I could use some feedback on that. Here are three ideas:
1) donationtraker.org - I was inspired by a recently watched TED talk to consider the concept of impulse giving (as opposed to impulse buying). Consider the website of your favorite non-profit. Is there a `Donate Now!` button at the top or on the homepage? Many non-profits are employing what my uncle referred to as `nudge psychology`, giving people an opportunity to decide to give a marginal amount of money on the fly. The idea of donationtracker.org would be to form a website to help individuals keep track of these impulse donations and manage them. A user could budget the amount of money they`d like to donate to an array of organizations over a given period of time, say a month. Then, whenever you happen to be surfing on moveon.org or Doctors Without Borders or whatever, and you click donate now, a message is sent to your donationtracker.org account. This message could have all sort of valuable information and uses. For example, record keeping for tax deduction; employing the same technology as pandora or amazon, recommending non-profits you might like to donate to in the future; and just helping you budget your donations and informing you if you are going over budget. This sort of website is just one strategy to encourage such concepts as impulse giving or impulse saving.
2) AMPS (Audio Media Production Syndicate) - Think `the music co-op.` Does your city or campus or whatever community your in have a music co-op? Maybe it should. I`ve been wanting to start one for years ever since college. Think a record store, equipment sharing, information sharing/education center, musician:s network, collaboration space all in one. My interest here is mainly in creating a network of DJs, but I guess I could make allowances to let guitarists in as well. :P Not only would this involve a website with forums and craigslist.org-like classifieds, but actual real life collaboration, actual people in actual places starting music co-ops to share their knowledge, resources, time, energy, etc., to bring people together as only collaborative music can. If you already have an existing production company or record label, consider putting `Powered by AMPS` on your promotional material or CD jacket. Doesn`t that just sound cool?
3) Party for Peace Productions - If I ever start a production company, this is what I`d want it to be called. Concept is to throw great parties at a low cost, and put a portion of the profits toward charitable causes. Pretty much just a reworking of benefit concerts. It`s likely the production company would have to start out locally. I`m thinking San Francisco is really the ideal place for it, though NY, Tokyo or just about any major city would probably be worth a shot. The concept is to partner with locally based non-profits to help them plan fundraising events. At first, the parties would be more geared toward the capacity of the production crew to throw an awesome party. Over time, the business model would expand to accomodate the needs of different organizations and evolve to include a party planning contingent as well as just producers. For example, say a non-profit working for fair housing in Brooklyn wants to throw a party to raise money (and have fun) in NYC. Party for Peace would meet with the staff and assess what kind of party they would like to have, then set about producing said party. NOTE THAT ALL PLANNING WOULD BE DONE AT NO COST TO THE NON-PROFIT THEMSELVES. Revenue from the concert/party itself would go into paying for the cost of the party, raising substantial funds for the non-profit, and keeping Party for Peace sustainable. Naturally Party for Peace would want to consider adopting a non-profit ethic/business model for itself. In the case above, Party for Peace would recruit local artists and volunteer producers as much as possible. As I see it, it`s as much of a win-win situation as you can get in a production company: fun parties for non-profit workers who would probably be partying anyway and lord knows need some fun once the weekend comes around; raising money for good causes; giving exposure to local artists and upcoming talent who need a platform to build experience; helping those of us who like to party but don`t like our addiction to consumerism feel a little bit better about having fun with our friends on the weekend by creating a community of people who want to support each other to live better lives. (OK, this is definitely turning into a huge stretch. Should I create a `please criticize the hell out of this post icon` to solicit (de)constructive criticism?)
Chances are that prototypes of all these ideas are out there. I`d love your help in finding them. I`m also not sure whether all three meet the criteria of Lessig`s hybrid economies, or how they could or to what extent. Your comments could really help think these things through and go a step further putting thought into action.
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