Inspiration comes from everywhere! I was checking out recent reviews of my book, when I saw the below post on Amazon. Ravi is my former boss and dear friend, so when I saw his feedback, I was: 1) touched that he read the book, and 2) floored to see that he posted such a thoughtful review. Also, his reference to the gig economy served up an entirely new way of looking at The Spare Room.
The gig economy is anchored on the idea of monetizing available spare capacity.
And Ravi’s key point is this: What if, instead of monetizing it, we gave that spare capacity away to those who need it most?
Did you know? In the old days when farmers harvested their fields, they would intentionally leave the healthy corners of their crops untouched. Why?
Farmers didn’t neglect the corners this because they were lazy, or rolling in extra wheat! Rather, they did it as a gesture of generosity. They identified their spare capacity, and intentionally left behind that extra wheat, so that those living in poverty could come and feed themselves.
Wow. If farmers back then could afford to be this generous with their spare capacity, aren’t we in a position to do the same (or more) today?
Ravi provides an alternate view of the gig economy.
What are the corners of your field… what is your spare capacity? And instead of dreaming up ways to make a few extra bucks off of it, how might you serve it up to someone who needs just that resource?
I love this way of defining our Offer. Thanks for the inspiration, Ravi!
For other reviews and endorsements of the book, check these out from amazing world leaders like Arianna Huffington, Diane von Furstenberg, and more.
Photo credit for gig economy visual, Photo credit for wheat photo