The inexorable rise of work markets

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The role and prominence of online markets for work have soared dramatically over the last few years, but this is just the beginning.

I have been following the rise of online markets for work since Elance was founded in 1999, writing about them in my 2002 book Living Networks and dedicating a large chunk of Getting Results From Crowds to how to effectively manage work markets.

Prominent VC Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures has just written a post The Nature Of The Firm and Work Markets, referencing, as I did in both of these books, the seminal work of Ronald Coase. Wilson writes:
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Availability in Europe for keynotes/ workshops/ consulting late April to late May

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I will spending a month in Europe from late April to late May, with a busy but not yet full schedule, so I’m open to offers on possible work in that period.

My trip kicks off with a keynote on The Future of Crowds at TheNextWeb Conference April 25-27 – more on that soon. I was originally planning to do some events in London and Paris shortly before then, but some potential engagements in Shanghai and Singapore mean I will probably arrive in Europe not long before TheNextWeb.

Building on my visit, the consulting firm Across Technology told me they were “impressed by my engaging style as a keynote speaker and talent as a workshop facilitator”, and invited me do a European tour. That has already resulted in them confirming a series of keynote engagements in early to mid-May in locations including Luxembourg, Italy, and Moscow.
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Is Manifesto the right word for our times?

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It strikes me that in these these confused and confusing times we should lay down clear thoughts about what we believe in. I am mustering my thoughts across a number domains to express what I think is important.

However one of the questions is what to call these statements. On the face of it ‘Manifesto’ is an admirable description.

From the political domain the Communist Manifesto (1848) and Anarchist Manifesto (1850) flowed through into artistic domain, with notably the Futurist Manifesto (1909) and Surrealist Manifesto (1924), and on into the social domain, with the SCUM (Society for Cutting Up Men) Manifesto (1968) among the many marking the cultural revolution of the 1960s. Since then the technological domain has been rife with statements from the GNU Manifesto (1985) and Hackers Manifesto (1986) through to the bestselling Cluetrain Manifesto (1999).


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Will technology harm or help young people’s brains? A highly nuanced debate

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Pew Internet & American Life Project’s latest study on the future of the internet examines how young people will be affected by technology.

The study selected 1,021 “experts” and asked them to choose between one of the following statements, with no other choices, with these results:
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A vision writ large: The future, personality, and hubris

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I have just seen the video of Peter Weyland’s speech at TED 2023, shown below. It is a superb piece, bringing together ideas, performance, and production to create a powerful impression in a few minutes.

I had to do some research to find what the speech is actually promoting. At the end of the movie the logo and website for Weyland Industries appears, which takes you to this website that showcases the speech.
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New ideas: Building the organizations of tomorrow

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I recently spoke at an event organised by Building the Organisation of Tomorrow, a group created by alumni of University of Technology Sydney’s Master of Business in IT Management program.

The format was very stimulating, with three 15 minute presentations, each followed by 15 minutes Q&A and then a ‘disruptive event’, including some awesome satirical musical performances and a planted heckler in the audience. Below are notes from the three speakers.
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Crowdsourcing infographic: Choosing between fixed fees and hourly rates

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[This post first appeared on the Getting Results From Crowds book website]

One of the most important issues in using service marketplaces is choosing between fixed fees and hourly rates.


Click on the image for full-size pdf
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Announcement of Crowdsourcing Week: Singapore April 2013

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Crowdsourcing is moving to the center not just of discussion, but of business and society. That is becoming increasingly evident through the events being run as well as in what companies are doing.

Moving beyond the increasing proliferation of conferences and workshops on crowdsourcing (for which I am partly responsible), we are now seeing a full week devoted to the topic, in Singapore in April 2013. It is a great choice of location given the pace of growth on both supply and demand for crowds in the region.

Details are at the Crowdsourcing Week website and part of the press release is below. Full disclosure: I am on the advisory board for Crowdsourcing Week and will be a keynote speaker. It promises to be an exciting event.

Crowdsourcing Week: Embracing The Power of The Crowd – Singapore, June 3-7, 2013
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The 14 ExaTrends of the Decade

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We released our Map of the ExaTrends of the Decade a while ago now. However the decade is still young, and all of these ExaTrends (which is a MegaTrend cubed) have a long way yet to play out.

We have created a set of slides to make the 14 ExaTrends easier to read and understand. The slides are better viewed in large size, so either view full screen or go to the slides on Slideshare.

14 ExaTrends of the Decade

View more presentations from Ross Dawsn

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Debate: The Ethics of Crowdsourcing

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For many who come across the idea of crowdsourcing in its many forms, their first thoughts are about the ethical issues. As such, in writing Getting Results From Crowds, it was important to address the ethical domain rather than ignoring or glossing it.

We address the ethical issues of crowdsourcing in Chapter 5 on Relationship Value, offering Points and Counterpoints on a number of the major ethical issues in the field.

To bring the debate to life we have created a video providing some of the arguments on each side.


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