Better Than Free
In his January 31 post, Kevin Kelly writes:
(There) are eight things that are better than free. Eight uncopyable values. I call them “generatives.” A generative value is a quality or attribute that must be generated, grown, cultivated, nurtured. A generative thing can not be copied, cloned, faked, replicated, counterfeited, or reproduced. It is generated uniquely, in place, over time. In the digital arena, generative qualities add value to free copies, and therefore are something that can be sold.
He goes on to explain these eight generatives — immediacy, personalization, interpretation, authenticity, accessibility, embodiment, patronage, and findability — building blocks of new products and services that are required reading for anyone who creates products or offers services in today’s digital economy.
You can read more at Kevin’s site.
Doug
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An excellent, if lengthy, article I found inspiring. The comments are equally valuable (and free!) as they challenge and compliment the original article. I recommend taking the time to read it all.
I thought so, too, especially for anyone operating or starting a business in today's climate and those just curious about how - and why - things are as they are. But I was equally impressed with Konrad Product's rebuttal about providing for one's self while producing "free" content "on spec". The article and the arguments should be read and digested as one.
Thanks for taking the time to read it all and offer your comment. I realize it's a lot to consume and some may not have the appetite.
Doug
On your advise, I slogged through the article (AND the comments, thank you very much) and agree that it offers some inspiration for business people. But Product's comment/rebuttal took the wind out of the author's sail, I thought. In his personal experience, providing free product results in starvation.
But it was a good read. It reminded me that education is ongoing and an article like this, that makes you think, is food for the brain.
I think Kelly would argue that the generatives do in fact apply directly to Product's situation in that he first needed to earn his "clips" in order for his more current efforts to achieve marketable personalization and authenticity.
Doug
I will read this over the weekend. Much too deep for me to read at work.
An excellent essay and good counterpoints. I will have to reread it when I have more time before I can comment, but good points from both sides of the discussion.