Wednesday, December 15, 2010

accelerated idiot

I'm intrigued by Faith Popcorn's assertion she refers to as 99 Lives and how it relates to Trendwatching's Pricing Pandemonium.

We live in such an accelerated culture facilitated by the internet and constant connectivity. Those who choose to be 'off the grid' have become an anomaly. Everyday day exchanges are interlaced with language that pushes this acceleration faster and faster. Take for example a simple exchange between business colleagues where by one might be rushing to catch a flight would say "...shoot me an email. I'll read it on the plane from my phone." Imagine if you were one of the people who chooses to remain 'off the grid,' meaning in this example, that you would not likely use a smart phone to read email rather, you exclusively use email at work or home. In this example, your lack of connectivity and ability to respond to the accelerated request would be as if a bomb went off.

So, I'm still compelled to ask: What have people sacrificed for this acceleration? It is after all an acceleration of convenience. What it is not is an acceleration of quality. Quality meaning a better end product faster. If you put a lower quality product out faster, do the math, you are not necessarily any farther ahead.

In the Pricing Pandemonium assertion, we can see a real benefit of the acceleration: Price promotion (hopefully) resulting in more product moving faster because more people acted faster than would have in previous promotional models. However, the acceleration cited in 99 Lives cannot be good in the long term. The pressure to perform on multiple levels and be 'on' at all times has obvious disadvantages.

What have you or your business sacrificed for this acceleration? Is it advancing you or your business or, in fact, causing a delay or reduction somewhere? Is there any real benefit you can realize by choosing not to participate in the race and opt rather for a 'slow and steady' strategy?