Crazy idea

While going for me evening jog I had this idea.

I really love helping people with their business, sharing ideas, motivating people and getting exciting projects off the ground. Over the past few years I’ve helped a lot of friends get stuff happening.

Imagine if someone did this: Started a program where what they do is just help people with important stuff. Probably helping people from a business perspective. The person only takes on projects that turn them on. Get them excited. There is no fee. It’s about the project and the person, wanting to work together. The person earns a reputation of radness. At the end of the project, the project beneficiary can make a donation to the helper. But it is not necessary. It’s a choice. They can choose not to, because the provider wanted to work with them on it. And they both know this.

… I wonder if anyone has done it? It’s something I think would just work, regardless of the lack of formal structure. At the moment it’s just a crazy idea.

twitter-follow-me

8 thoughts on “Crazy idea

  1. Yep – crazy…actually it has merit Steve, but will very much depend on the people who the project attracts. There is also the issue of quality outcomes?? I love the notion of dynamic value exchanges and that the old system of Ï give you money, you give me time/output/product” is wavering – but I think this idea is a little ahead of its time (there is nothing wrong with this).

    In many ways – the intern and volunteer model captures elements of this. Radness also is important – but radness can also = connectedness/influence. In other words, if you are BIG in Tokyo (like the tshirt), and your project is kinda OKísh – then I may still work with you $0, because you can intro me to the people who can change my life??

    You have put it out there – let’s see where it goes…

  2. This sounds a lot like a mentor/entrepreneur relationship no?

    In fact, it almost describes what I currently have. I have a startup, but I also have a business mentor. He used to be a CEO, has previously had his own startup (raised money, got an exit), and is now in management at one of the big 4 banks. So he doesn’t need to mentor me, and he doesn’t get paid for it. But he does it because he finds it interesting and intellectually challenging, plus I imagine he gets a general buzz (like we all do) from planning and shaping something small into something big.

  3. This sounds more like project management (one that is very picky lol)

    If an idea is good enough ill spend the time to develop it myself rather than do it for someone else.

    Half the fun of any journey is working out how to get there!

  4. Hey Steve,

    love how you think!!! I guess from what Luke and Scott are saying, you’re trying to formalise an informal process that’s existed for thousands of years – which is probably why it could be seen as “ahead of it’s time” and people haven’t flipped over from years of traditional thinking.

    I’m not so sure that it is ahead of its time because I’ve been thinking about 2 projects that are quite similar to what you thought of so I can see the merits of it instantly.

    I guess if you or someone else really wanted to take the idea further, adopt a “build it and they will come” mentality and prove the concept to yourself and a few select others. That’s how all great ideas start.

    Dream, Build, Inspire, Lead!

    AJ~

  5. Sort of like the “Lental as Anything” honesty pricing model … I like it. I reckon it could work.

    A great Word-of-Mouth generator too.

    And if you only choose to work on projects with people you respected and trusted, yoiu’d be far less likely to get ripped off by cheap-skates.

  6. love this idea man and completely agree with your reasons for setting something like this up. I don’t necessarily think this is ahead of its time, especially if geared toward this tech savvy, younger generation of entrepreneurs.

    to start, it might just take a group of friends or like-minded people to brand their organization on the web and start offering services as a sort of free consultancy. could even specialize areas of interest, size of project etc etc. huh, i think i’ll set something like up actually, haha…

  7. I love to get people fired up about their businesses. I often have too many ideas floating around in my head for one person to handle, so I often nut through business ideas with friends, shooting them emails, chatting over coffee …. ahh perhaps I am in the wrong business!

Leave a Reply