Lessons from Jeff Jarvis – What Would Google Do?

In the book, “What Would Google Do?“, Jarvis brings us a multitude of lessons, facts, and a unique way of looking at the new economy.

Comparing how the old economy reacts or would react versus how Google and other tech-savvy companies have reacted during this time of transition, is not only eye opening, but really an enjoyable read.

There are some lessons from “What Would Google Do?” that you should be aware of when you begin your journey into the Open Source or Gift Economy, so before you dive right in, make sure you have considered the following points:

1) Listen and listen well
2) The crowd, your crowd is wise
3) There is an inverse relationship between control and trust
4) The internet kills inefficiency
5) The mass market is dead
6) Small is the new big
7) Be organized (create an elegant organization)
8) Get out of the way
9) Change is inevitable, rethink everything you are doing

Jarvis suggests that as you embrace the internet, follow the thoughts; encourage, enable and innovate. Sounds a bit like raising children, Love and encourage, educate to enable them and allow them to learn independence, as such innovate. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone in the marketing, advertising and especially the manufacturing sectors, what has already changed is significant, but not nearly as significant as the changes ahead.

We’ve spent 150 years or so, fitting into the economy, it now appears in order to survive you are going to have to stand out and embrace the changes.

Michael Bickerton, Raven5 Ltd, July 2010