![\"Global](\"https:\/\/www.lrngo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Knowledge-Economy.jpg\")
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In 1964, a group of top Hollywood film executives piled into a room to screen their latest investment.\u00a0 It was a departure from the normal films of that day, because even though it was filmed in English, the story didn\u2019t take place in the U.S. and the accents sounded unintelligible.\u00a0 The executives were very concerned about making it a commercial Hollywood release, because it seemed so, well\u2026\u201cforeign.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the end of the screening, there was total silence. No applause, nothing.\u00a0 No one knew what to make of it. Finally one executive broke the silence and said he didn\u2019t understand a word of it. \u201cI don\u2019t know what any of that movie was about,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Then he added, \u201cbut\u2026I think we\u2019re going to make a lot of money.”<\/p>\n
The movie was called \u201cA Hard Day\u2019s Night,\u201d and it was about a new musical group called The Beatles.\u00a0\u00a0As we all know today, the executive was right, they were about to make a lot of money.\u00a0 What he didn\u2019t realize at the time, was the extent to which that movie would be a catalyst for everything that was about to change.<\/p>\n
The technology of radio, television and film was about to come together at a particular point in history, and enable a phenomenon that arguably would change the world by connecting everyone simultaneously in a shared cultural experience that made the world seem a little bit smaller.<\/p>\n
I doubt that Hollywood and the entertainment industry were the only entities in the U.S. at that time to see a new emerging world of possibilities out there for advertising and revenue, and realize that the benefits don’t always require this country to appear at the center.<\/p>\n
Fast-forward to the Facebook\/social media phenomenon, and the mobile chat phenomenon taking place today.\u00a0 One could argue that people in communities were\u00a0basically already connected, but now local communities are also connected with the outside world in a way that was previously impossible.\u00a0 Does that change anything?\u00a0 I would argue that it changes everything.<\/p>\n
Professors with MOOCs & highly paid tutors are finding fame and fortune that was previously impossible locally, now that technology can be leveraged to connect them with millions of people.\u00a0 Millionaire tutors in Asia with over 50,000 fans (ie: students) online are living like rock stars and advertising on the sides of billboards and buses.<\/p>\n
There are eSports heroes (yes professional video gaming is now a sport) more famous in some countries than athletes in traditional sports could ever dream of, and influencers of millions whose opinions are sought after and even paid for, simply because they \u201cown\u201d an audience.<\/p>\n
These “personal brands” are the results of a new knowledge economy, an economy where the entire world is connected and people promote themselves and participate together in a project-based workforce; based on skill sets and performance, reputation, and proven history rather than credentials.<\/p>\n
Are you connected yet?\u00a0 Is your company?\u00a0 How about your competitors?<\/p>\n
Did you know that according to data collected by the US Department of Labor in 2005, one third of our economy here in the U.S is made up of freelancers?\u00a0 (Freelancers are defined as self-employed people, or people who work for themselves on the side in addition to their regular job.)<\/p>\n
That figure was published BEFORE the recession.\u00a0 Anyone want to take a guess as to what that number is now?\u00a0 I don\u2019t claim to have the answer, but I would be willing to bet it\u2019s significantly higher.<\/p>\n
Is there a downside\u00a0to the acceleration of technology and connecting the entire world?\u00a0 Sure, in fact I\u2019ll be talking about\u00a0that topic specifically and how it relates to learning and education this week at SXSWedu<\/a> in a presentation called Survival in the New Knowledge Economy<\/a>.<\/p>\n As my co-presenter of that event Federico Pistono<\/a> eloquently explains in his book \u201cRobots Will Steal Your Job<\/a>\u201d, there are many challenges alongside the possibilities, and we are already seeing casualties.<\/p>\n At the end of the day though, let\u2019s face it: we still don\u2019t know what connecting everyone is going to look like, and the truth is we\u2019re still getting used to the idea.\u00a0 I think many of us as individuals are internally conflicted, much like the entities that are threatened and want to hold on to power, yet are torn because they see the benefits.<\/p>\n Perhaps we are all a bit like China, throwing down the gauntlet that no Facebook is allowed and sticking to the old rules, while at the same time being curious enough to\u00a0break down\u00a0borders sending our students in droves to study in the U.S. \u00a0(It\u2019s bound to have an effect you know; as they say, information wants to be free.)\u00a0 In any case, it\u2019s a challenging yet exciting time for education, learning, and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n As I\u2019m writing this, I\u2019m in the middle of managing 45 people from around the world on a company project.\u00a0 I\u2019m able to see their faces, track and vet their work, communicate with them as needed, and offer them incentives based on performance.\u00a0 Sounds like an expensive platform I\u2019m using, doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 It isn’t, it’s free. Sounds like I\u2019m working for a good size company, right?\u00a0 It\u2019s a pre-revenue startup<\/a> with a two person management team, and I funded it myself.<\/p>\n Tell me that\u2019s not a game changer.\u00a0 It changes everything.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In 1964, a group of top Hollywood film executives piled into a room to screen their latest investment.\u00a0 It was a departure from the normal films of that day, because even though it was filmed in English, the story didn\u2019t take place in the U.S. and the accents sounded unintelligible.\u00a0 The executives were very concerned…<\/p>\n