Value.
What is it? Why should it drive our business and personal ventures? Why should it be the focal point of every interpersonal interaction?
- Value is mutually beneficial
- Value creation is always at the epicenter of commerce
- Value is the only commodity that never depreciates
I'll dive into each of these briefly. But, first, a burning question:
What does this have to do with Steemit?
Any new platform for social interaction begins with advantages and disadvantages. One of the major advantages of a new platform is the type of community it tends to create. With every "first-adopter" platform I've been privileged to be part of, there is always a closeness and honesty between strangers that is shared. The relationship and community aspect of most platforms is what usually draws me in.
Over time, as platforms grow, we tend to segregate into our cliques and niches and conversely our interactions are delegated to the same small group of followers and like-minded individuals. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but it is a reminder that the relationship-building qualities of this platform have already begun to decline with the growth.
Nonetheless, I consider the early stages of a platform some of the best for connecting people and forging relationships (as best you can in cyberspace).
This is because the real value of Steemit to me is in community. The ability to follow and be followed by content creators who are equally committed to the common goal of improving this platform through curating and creating the best possible content.
Which brings me to my first major observation.
Value Is Subjective
There is no one-size-fits-all rule of thumb for what someone considers valuable. There are certain things that we consensually hold as valuable, but even those are often cultural or societal in nature. Very few things are perceived as universally valuable and nothing is ever unilaterally value to the same extent.
What I mean by this is that no two people will perceive the same thing as equally valuable. We all have our own set of priorities and situations which define what is valuable to us.
An easy example is someone who has lots of money may find time to be a more valuable commodity than someone who has plenty of time but no money. This is the very basis of commerce. The party with more time than money sells their time to the party with more money than time. The party with more money than time then converts the time he bought into enhanced productivity or personal development to satisfy another priority that he also considers more valuable than money.
Economics is based on this exchange of value. But, I believe value-exchange is also the foundation of great relationships.
Value Is Mutually Beneficial
When I create value for someone, I am always exchanging it for something I consider valuable. Even if I'm doing charity work, where I seemingly get nothing in return, I still receive value. The value proposition, in the case of charity, could be personal happiness, fulfillment, or even my need to give and receive love. Value is rarely, if ever, created without at least the promise of value exchange. Therefore, creating value for someone else is always personally beneficial.
Value Creation Is Always At The Epicenter of Commerce
We've already touched on this, but it bears repeating. Every economic system since the dawn of time has been built on the exchange of value. Modern economics has given us currency, which is merely a representation of something we find valuable. For instance, if an employee trades time for currency, that currency is simply a compacted version of his time. If he works 2 hours for $20, he can now go out and buy something worth 2 hours of his time without spending the two hours at that moment. The $20 represents his time and with his purchase he is essentially saying this item is worth this amount of my time. Currency is a way of "paying it forward" so the exchange of value can be instant - but it is only a representation of what we hold truly valuable.
Value Is The Only Commodity That Never Depreciates
Why is value so essential to commerce? Because, it is a subjective standard. It doesn't fluctuate from person to person. What someone holds as most valuable is worth anything to that person. They may decide that something else is more valuable at some point - but their need for value never depreciates. It is simply subjected to different things at different times.
In that sense, value never depreciates. It never becomes less of a commodity because it is a human necessity. We need to create and receive value; to feel loved and respected; to have meaning in life.
The key then is to discover what someone holds most valuable and leverage that to receive maximum value from them.
On the surface, that statement sounds very self-centered and manipulative. It isn't.
We've established that all human beings have an intrinsic need to be valued. By creating value for someone, we are showing that we value them. We value them enough to take something we find valuable (our time or experience for example) and give it them. In exchange, they will gladly return the favor because the principle of value exchange is not merely economic, it is also an ingrained emotional trait of humanity.
So, the trick is to know people well enough that you can define where their greatest value is being placed. The next step is to define your greatest value. Finally, the exchange takes place when both people are receiving what they perceive to be an equal amount of value.
This, again, is not merely an economics principle. Beyond that, it is a relational standard. If we take the time to get to know people on the deepest level, to find where they are placing their true value, we can then create it for them. It's the ultimate cycle of fulfilling relationships.
Bringing It Home
Circling back to where we began. Those who will be the most successful on this platform are not the self-absorbed, self-motivated types. I sincerely hope Ned and Dan continue to improve the platform so those people are not rewarded.
Those who will succeed are those who pay attention to the community: real people. When we discover where we each place value, we can create value. When we create value, value exchange begins to occur. When value exchange takes place, powerful, unstoppable communities are built.
So, please, share what you find valuable in the comments below and let's leverage the true value of Steemit - community.
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