product zeitgeist fit, how we relate to work, and how Twitter can get it's business model right

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Cool things curated in our universe

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On the different ways in which we relate to work

Some version of this idea has been sitting in the back of my mind for a long time, and I'm very glad someone put it into words. Maybe it'll resonate with you too.

There are definitions (of work) that speak of a meaningless Sisyphean grind inside an oppressive and cruel economic system designed to extract the maximum possible short-term value from all its constituent parts. There are also definitions that evoke the sincere joy of putting care and attention toward something worth nurturing, and shepherding its growth through consistent, deliberate effort. Your definition of work probably says more about you than the actual concept itself.

They say that people on their deathbeds never wish they had spent more time working. I certainly believe that no one wishes, in the moments before death, that they had spent more time at the office earning a wage. But when I think about what would be weighing on my mind if I knew today were my last day to live, I suspect I’ll mostly wonder whether I’ve done enough work.

Bonus: check out the relationship with work collection on startupy.

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On product zeitgeist fit

Product market fit is a frustratingly vague hazy term, which is why I love the concept of product zeitgeist fit. Standout highlights:

The fact is that people need a different motivation to try something new, something that connects with them emotionally rather than functionally. It’s a seemingly simple idea can create powerful business advantages, a concept I call product zeitgeist fit (PZF): when a product resonates with the mood of the times. It’s the thing that makes users and employees want you to win. It’s also the thing that helps other stakeholders—media and trend watchers, big companies, other builders—spot the next big thing.

When you have PZF, the product resonates with users not because it’s better, but because it feels extremely culturally relevant at that particular moment in time for a particular group of people.

Most startups die not because they can’t get their tech to work or because their competition out-executes them. The death of most startups is indifference.

Related: I believe the zeitgeist is right to build new kinds of social spaces on the Internet. If the graph below resonates, you'll love what we've been working on behind the scenes for startupy 2.0!

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Revisiting David Perells' 50 ideas that changed his life

There's so much wisdom here. Some favorites:

Work expands to fill the time available. People don’t want to look like they’re lazy, so they find extra tasks to tackle, even if they’re trivial. If you have six months to complete a project, it will take six months to complete. Set deadlines accordingly.
Society is good at training talent but terrible at cultivating genius. Talented people are good at hitting targets others can’t hit, but geniuses find targets others can’t see. They are opposite modes of excellence. Talent is predictable, genius is unpredictable. (more thoughts on talent and intelligence)
Journalists often change the meaning of a sentence by replacing one word with a synonym that implies a different meaning. For example, the same person can support an estate tax but oppose a death tax — even though they are the same thing. (this reminds me of Rory Sutherland's ideas)
The average quality of information is getting worse and worse. But the best stuff is getting better and better. Markets of abundance are simultaneously bad for the median consumer but good for conscious consumers. (more thoughts on opportunities in curation here)

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On how Twitter can get it's pricing right

This is an impressive thread analyzing Twitter/Musk's plan to charge $8/month for verification and the importance of charging for the right features.

TLDR:

Verification should cost much less
Twitter Blue should cost much more
Twitter has a unique opportunity to 10x subscribers

Go deeper down the rabbit hole in the pricing and business model collections on startupy.

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Curator spotlight

Austin Robey

startupy.world/austinrobey/

twitter.com/austinrobey_

austin.mirror.xyz/

Rabbit hole: The Solidarity Economy

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Why is the solidarity economy interesting?

"The Solidarity Economy" is an ecosystem of ways that people organize to prioritize collective well-being rather than financial return or growth. “Solidarity” means joining to be stronger together. “Economy” is a networked way to meet needs with resources. I find it interesting as a philosophical precursor to much of the contemporary thinking around DAOs and token-coordinated communities. But none of these ideas are new, or even originate from tech.

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Podcasts worth listening to on the topic?

To learn more about The Solidarity Economy, I highly recommend listening to

this Twitch stream hosted by Trust which features Caroline Woolard presenting the work of art.coop.

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Things worth reading and watching on the topic?

A few books that I think are instructive history lessons on collective enterprises and solidarity networks are Everything For Everyone by Nathan Schneider and Collective Courage by Jessica Gordon nembhard.

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Projects worth following on the topic?

Start.coop is an incredible accelerator that is helping fill the gap of startup funding for cooperatives run by amazing people. Also, RadicalxChange as a lot of interesting thought and work outlined in their Concepts section.

Community health

This week on startupy:

720 contributions
980 connections
448 highlights

Welcoming Michael Kelly, Sindhu Shivaprasad , and Soniya Sadhnani, and virtual high-fiving Jay Matthews, Stuart Evans, and Jessica Ryan for her contributions.

If you’re a regular reader, we hope you consider joining the startupy membership.

Also wait. What's startupy?

Startupy is your refuge from the noisy Internet. We're building a new space for people in love with interesting ideas to curate, explore, and interconnect the best knowledge on the Internet.

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maximum possible shortterm value meaningless Sisyphean grind cruel economic system consistent deliberate effort vague hazy term powerful business advantages product market fit product zeitgeist fit next big thing

product zeitgeist fit, how we relate to work, and how Twitter can get it's business model right

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going slow to go fast, wisdom on parenting, and things to read when it's hard

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