Generative Economies are HOT

Hello Hot Literatis

(in my head when I type that it's a bit like Charlie's Angels)

I am sitting at my kitchen table eating roasted Japanese Sweet potato and drinking coffee from Porto Rico. Life is good.

I said in Monday's newsletter that I was going to write about dating, but honestly I find thinking about dating a little bit boring at this point in my life. Maybe because I'm really obsessed with all my little projects and also because I have a partner now. The TLDR on that is 1) communicate 2) journal and 3) don't date people who make you sad.

Now, let's get into some of the interesting stuff.

Generative Economies and why they're really hot

I'm sort of obsessed with some convos I've had recently with young people. Lots of American children want to be entrepreneurs or Youtubers because they perceive it as being free from the 9 to 5. Before I can really get into my thoughts on this, I think I need to explain my thoughts around work.

My thoughts on Work

I love working. I think work is a fundamental part of being a human being. But I am extremely principled in my work and work ethic and I need a lot of mental stimulation. and challenge to be fulfilled by work. That’s why I love Hot Literati, because it’s extremely mission-driven for me. We are trying to create a culture, both online and in person, of intellectual thought, optimism, and beauty.

Work throughout History

Lately I've been SO obsessed with the history channel. Learning more about history has dramatically changed my perception of what is possible for my own life and in the world broadly.

This show "The Food that Build America" showed how visionaries like Henry John Heinz created the infrastructure for the first factories that restructured American lives by creating environments where people left their home to clock in and returned home at the end of the day. Or Milton Hershey, a maniac who is one of my favorite entrepreneurial stories. And as time went on, we got the need for unions and labor rights, but the point I'm trying to make is that a few people with a vision created that first big shift.

Work isn't just Work

The workplace became a bit of a third space. All of a sudden, people had co workers that they stood next to every day and a new shared identity around a company.

In my head, this connects to Jane Jacobs, who I'm obsessed with, and her exploration of cultural and economic diversity. She talks about how bringing people into an area at different times creates "economic pools of use."

Technology and Work

I have a lot millennials in my life. I love millennials. I love Gen Z, and I'm convinced Gen Alpha is going to be BRILLIANT.

The millennials in my life talk about a time before email and phones and zoom meetings. A time where you had to send a fax to get something across. So I think we take for granted the fact that we can send emails instead of getting someone to deliver a note, like they always are in a Dosteovsky novel.

So, it's clear considering this to think about how technology has clearly restructured work and created this new type of white collar job that is "click clack type at computer."

This isn't necessarily a problem -- I love computer, computer is FUN-- but one thing I wish everyone knew and thought about more are ...

Extractive vs. Generative Economies

Learning more about economics literally changed the way I view EVERYTHING. Money is a social tool for trade, it's not evil!

When we pay for things, we actually appreciate them more and take better care of them because we have the skin in the game.

But how does this connect to work and the broader world?

So before the maturation of the technology industry, work used to be a geographically embedded place-- the factory, the office, the shop. Workers interacted irl with customers, suppliers, and surrounding businesses. This is still true for many types of companies, but for the big ones and often the ones with higher salaries, technology unbundled work from "place."

Now the "place" where most of us work is the internet. Email. Zoom. Click clack keyboard blue light. And algorithms determine how the Internet is organized. Instagram and Substack and Facebook are all platforms. TikTok is a platform. And when you spend time there, you're sort of letting your brain surf the waves of their algorithm. But each platform is like a different pool in a waterpark.

That's why I made a Hot Literati App and platform, generally. So we can have our own pool.

So, people spend a lot of time in front of screens. Originally for work and commerce. And then for fun. And COVID accelerated this BAD. Zoom zoom zoom. And you lose out on a level of interaction under the surface every time you take a call or do an email instead of meeting face to face.

And the answer isn't going all in on IRL, the internet is really cool and really useful. Email protocol and search rank algorithms are INSANE when you crack them open and learn about them.

BUT when most cultural and economic exchange happens online, cultural and economic value is extracted from local economies. Then you're money and attention goes towards a company that a) isn't participating locally so does not usually think about the benefit of local economies and b) Usually lets you use it for free so they can sell your data.

Hot Literati is run by one woman (me!). And now I'm bringing in Hosts and Ambassadors and really lovely people. And we all really care about local economies and art. And I am not selling your data.

So now, what are we building toward?

What is a healthy local economy?

A healthy local economy is one where the ecosystem supports itself because everyone engages with everyone in the local economy.

And shopping, selling, and participating locally requires us to delay gratification and go out of our way to discover our community and meet people. Circulating a local dollar is very good and if you can't find something locally that you want, you could start selling it there and then BAM, you have a business!

So-- How does Hot Literati play into this?

We are an online community, and we're building local communities for Hot Literati members.

By opening our blog up to submissions from members, you're now able to submit stories about artists, business, and more who are local to your area and these blog posts will also be turned into points on the Hot Literati Map.

The Hot Literati Map will feature posts (by Members) about local business.

And lastly, there's a lot of gunk online. Most of it is trying to sell you stuff that you don't need.

We are trying disseminate useful information and create a beautiful way of life that we can all participate in and build together.

I am convinced we can move past the eight hour click clack generation. And I'm just crazy enough to try.

And all it takes is a few people :)

And with 270 readers on the app and 13 members, we have more than a few.

Join Hot Literati!!!

xo hailo