(2007-10-18) Macleod Companies Grow Around Social Software

Back in July, Hugh MacLeod gave an "interview" to Shel Israel about how Social Software relates to the Enterprise and its vendors (SAP). So let's say over the next, I dunno, ten, twenty, fifty years, this Social Network paradigm gets more prevalent. Will we still need large companies (BigCo)? Will we still be able to compete with all that unwieldy, energy-guzzling, calcifying corporate structure? Or will everything become "a loose confederation of SkunkWorks" (Network Economy)? It's too early to tell, of course. Instead, focus on this: The main story about Social Software is not about how it allows you to carry out existing company functions, just more quickly and easily. It's bigger than that. In the future, companies will grow around Social Software (Group Forming), not the other way around. And your client, SAP, had better be ready for this. Because it's already starting to happen.