Linchpin_ Are You Indispensable_ - Seth Godin [72]
and he did it largely for his friends. The Internet permitted him to jump to a third circle, a
hundred million or more people around the world who benefit from his art, who
participate in his tribe and follow his work.
As the third circle grows in size, the second circle takes care of itself. Linus and the core
team responsible for Linux will never need to look for work again, because as you give
more and more to the friendlies, the list of people willing to pay you to do your work
always grows.
The Difference Between "If" and "And"
In a monetary exchange, we focus on "if." I will give you this if you give me that. The
initial exchange depends on the promise of reciprocity, and doesn't occur without it. In a
gift, we imply and. I will give you this and you will do something for someone else. I
will give you this and my expectation is that you will change the way you feel.
The power lies in the creation of abundance. A trade leaves things as they were, with no
external surplus. A gift always creates a surplus as it spreads.
Washing Rental Cars
My friend Julie used to say, "No one washes a rental car before they return it."
The reason should now be obvious: Avis is not a member of our tribe. I paid for the car,
they got the money, they should wash it. It's a transaction.
Transactions distance parties from each other. The transaction establishes the rules of the
engagement, and if it's not in the rules, you don't have to worry about it. If I eat in your
restaurant tonight and pay my check, there's no obligation for me to return tomorrow or
for you to send me a Christmas card. We had a deal, a deal's a deal (what a great
expression), and we can move on. In many ways, this tribeless relationship brings a great
deal of freedom to our commerce and allows things to grow and spread and change quite
rapidly.
Consider the alternative: The bellboy who refuses a tip for helping an elderly customer.
The doctor who drives out of her way to check on a patient even though it's her day off.
The restaurant owner who sends out a few special dishes to a regular customer and
refuses to charge for them.
In each case, the lack of a transaction created a bond between the giver and the recipient,
and perhaps surprisingly, the giver usually comes out even further ahead.
Hyatt Hotels is now treating different customers differently. Since they know who their
best customers are, they're working not to charge them more, but to give them more.
They're setting out to randomly cover bar tabs, offer free massages, and provide other
services that they could otherwise charge for. If they do it in a corporate, by-the-book
way, it'll feel fake and will fail. But if they empower their employees to actually be
generous, it can't help but work.
Gifts of Art
As we've seen, if there is no gift, there is no art. When art is created solely to be sold, it's
only a commodity. A key element for the artist is the act of giving the art to someone in
the tribe. (To be clear, an object or a canvas or a deliverable is not necessary for it to be
art. Seeing the thing, hearing the thing, understanding the thing--that's enough for it to be
art.)
If I give you a piece of art, then you can't and shouldn't be busy assigning a monetary
value to it. To do so is to take away its magic. If flight attendants charged extra for
smiles, or helping you with a bag or entertaining your kid, that wouldn't be a gift and it
wouldn't be art. It would be emotional labor for hire.
If I give you a piece of art, you shouldn't be required to work hard to reciprocate, because
reciprocation is an act of keeping score, which involves monetizing the art, not
appreciating it.
When I come to your house for dinner, I shouldn't bring brownies merely because you
asked me over to dinner. To do so devalues and disrespects your gift.
An acquaintance of mine always gives a cash gift when he attends weddings or bar
mitzvahs. He makes out the check over dessert after the ceremony--and the amount of the