For so long, we have been trained in Zero Sum Games – for someone to win, someone else must lose.

The Olympics, the Oscars & Grammies, board games, reality TV shows, honour rolls at schools etc are all Zero Sum Games.

The Zero Sum Game is based on scarcity – there is only a limited amount of the prize so only one player can walk away with it. This is classic Industrial Age thinking.

But what happens in a context where the ‘prize’ is abundant?

What happens when it doesn’t cost any more for digital content to be given to one person or one million?

What happens when the ‘attention’ you seek is no longer limited to a worldwide sporting event every four years or an annual industry pat on the back – but can now be enjoyed directly by your fans, instantly?

The Connection Economy is not a Zero Sum Game.

The more businesses and creatives produce value for their fans that comes from their unique identity, the bigger the pie for everyone.

In the Connection Economy, influence is currency and influencers in complementary roles can cross-pollinate their influence by sharing their fanbase – just like the old fax machine, the more people who are on board, the better it is for everyone.

In a Zero Sum Game, when you enter a market, every other player loses.

In the Connection Economy, when you enter the market, every other player wins.

The flip side is, the longer you wait to make your contribution in the Connection Economy, the more we all lose.

We need your best.

Now.