(2011-03-02) Rao Free Agent Lifestyle Business Philosophy

Venkatesh Rao has left his nice job for an undefined Free Agent future. He's contemplating how many Life Style Company-s are based on a Business Philosophy rather than a Business Model. A business model is about how to Make Money. A business philosophy is about redefining Money... A business philosophy is also not a normative construct like a Mission or vision. It is about viewing the economic realities of life in a way that helps you make financial choices. So a business philosophy, at its simplest, is a motto about money that actually works.

He explains his decision not to put his blog (Thinking Space) behind a PayWall. Finding Wild Thought-s is one end of things. Putting them somewhere is the other piece of the puzzle. For me, Ribbonfarm is where I put Wild Thoughts once I find them, and before I decide what, if anything to do with them. In most cases the answer is “nothing.” It is not the Life Purpose of every Wild Thought to create economic wealth for humans. So Ribbonfarm is not really a farm, but a sort of protected nature preserve for Wild Thoughts. To charge for access, I’d have to turn it into a zoo, and put the Wild Thoughts into miserable little cages.