Designing a model where value lies in the process rather than the product. AltWork Journeys.
We have entered a recovery period. As countries are starting to open, this is the time to ask ourselves: What will a post-COVID future look like?
The pandemic was the one sign that we could not ignore, the event that shut down every economic system. It made it abundantly clear that a continuous growth cycle is no longer sustainable and changes need to be made.
While some point to capitalism itself as the root cause of such massive human peril, it is not the system that is to blame, but the interpretation of its principles. Money is a means of exchange, markets are the places where that exchange happens, and capital is the result. The rules which were devised overtime to govern these three elements are the ones that need to be adjusted in order to create a more sustainable future which serves all of us.
A key shift needs to happen is in the reward mechanism. Currently all of the attention is focused on the output. Be it goods, services, or the value of the currency itself, the exchange has one goal: to maximize value. When the system is entirely based on the result, frequency of reiteration becomes the focus of the process.
The result has been an explosion in the number of market offerings. This is great for the market, but that’s not the measurement which we should focus on. The market is designed to serve the people and not the other way around. From worker burnout to significantly shorter company cycles and mounting debt on both sides, the market is driving us all into the ground.
What if we reframed capitalism? Instead of focusing on the output, what if we focus on the process and give the result of the labor out for free. Sounds too crazy? I already designed a system to accomplish this. Let’s see how it works.
The result of output-focused capitalism has been a task force-people who do tasks to achieve objectives. This is linear, repetitive, unsatisfying. I instead see tasks as a component of a work journey, one that every worker gets to create on their own, and every journey starts by looking within.
When a freelancer logs into AltWork they have the opportunity to create their own journey. Through examining their feelings they can unearth what is truly important to them and progress to the next level.
Next, through examining lessons learned, freelancers can see their strengths and where they face challenges. This allows them to have a clearer picture of their abilities as they plan for the future.
By making their dashboard planner available, the world can see live goals progress and not just follow a freelancer along the way, but support their journey.
Some freelancers will need articles, advice, or just some kind words to continue. Others will need financial support. Given in the form of carrots (the site’s token), these funds can go towards buying more time to do what a person truly loves.
The online labor marketplace is so ripe with opportunity, yet it is treated by freelancing platforms as just another place to exchange labor for currency. AltWork approaches the challenge differently. Through designing a system entirely to serve freelancers, it is creating a place for them to go beyond tasks to truly do what they want.
Only expressions of gratitude will show whether the model in this prototype will be effective and I am looking forward to testing for results.
