Being unique is bad for solving problems

If you feel that you are somehow unique (or special), chances are that you are going to miss a whole truck load of potential problems to solve and possibly exploit! The short and simple reason for this: you're not going to relate the problems you face on a daily basis to those of the masses.

I'm a software developer. My goal in life: remove pain, automate stuff and make life simpler. So, it stands to reason, when i come across a problem I also have an opportunity to remove pain, automate something or just generally make life a little easier.

If i recognize in myself that i am not unique, then my problems are probably being experienced by other people just like me. If i solve a problem for myself and extend the solution in such a way that it is also available to other people, then i'd say I'm also making something that people might be prepared to pay for, or at the very least talk about.

The logic follows simply: the less unique i am, the more common my problems. The greater the number of solutions i have to offer, the greater my chances of creating something that people are prepared to pay for.

So, in essence, it's all about attacking the common base and recognizing that my solutions could also be solutions for others.

Be passionate about sharing

I love the idea of sharing. I'm not talking about just giving stuff away for free, I'm talking about enabling other people with the resources that you have at your disposal. This in return should come full circle to the benefit of the community as a whole.

In the software industry this translates to open source software, where anybody can submit changes and enhancements to some common code pool, and if the changes are beneficial, it benefits all the members of that particular community. But, how does this idea translate to the real world, and what stands in the way of this kind of sharing?

Not much, i think. This morning i had a look at something called CoWorking. The basic idea is that some party provides a space that is used as an office by a number of freelancers and independents. The resources they share include things like photocopiers, internet connections etc etc.

What i find particularly remarkable about this kind of setup, is how this micro community stands to benefit from this kind of network: not only are physical resources made available to the members, but also joint venture opportunities and exposure to other professionals that might not have existed otherwise.

Also worth mentioning, is the benefit of culture. In this kind of setup it would emerge quite naturally based on the composition of the group members, and not as a result of some decreed 50 page document passed down from above. Culture in this case, is a best fit and not a one size must fit all.

For the most to come from a community you need members to actively contribute. In the case of sharing an office the most obvious contribution is that of paying rent. The less obvious contribution is that of enabling the people you share the space with to be able to pay the rent. This for me is the underpinning requirement of sharing effectively and the long term survival of the community: the benefits enjoyed by individuals, must be to the benefit of the community.

So, to close: enable those around you, benefit from those around you and be passionate about sharing.