Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Seattle 2.0, and imported to GeekWire as part of our acquisition of Seattle 2.0 and its archival content. For more background, see this post.
By Alyssa Royse
I’m not sure what, exactly a “while” is, where Ikeep mine or what would make any given task worth my “while.” Thatsaid, it’s a phrase we all say, and as starteruppers, it’s one worththinking about. Why? Because it is a question of compensation, and anoften ignored line-item in the psychological budgets we all use whenmaking decisions about how to spend our time. Or our while – which Iguess is both a noun and a commodity, in this case, and has variablevalue depending on the situation.
Most of us have grown accustomedto thinking of our time and talent (which are probably the primaryingredients in this mysterious concept of “while,”) in terms of thedollars we have gotten for them in the past. Or – and this is dangerous -the dollar value that someone we think of as our equal is getting, orhas gotten, for their time or talent. This is a straightforwardcommercial equation based on semi-real transactional history. Good formodeling, maybe not good enough for a complete assessment of value.Indeed, this places value on only two things – you and money.
Thereare plenty of other things that have value to you, and you are allowedsome flexibility in thinking about them because there is not a clearlydefined market. All of which may drive you to your primary goal, and bejust as valuable as cash up front.
So, if you need help fromsomeone, how do you make it worth their while? Or when is it worth yourwhile to do something for which you are not compensated with cash?
1.Does it raise your profile in your industry? If so, it may be worthyour while as free PR. This is one of the reasons why people may blogfor free, give talks, lead seminars, write an article, etc… It canbuild awareness, brand, momentum, traffic and all the other things thatmost of us need in order grow our businesses. Before you say yes (or asksomeone to do these things for you) be sure that you know the audience,reach and “power” of the venue.
2. Does it connect you to peoplewho will be useful to you? If so, it may be worth your while to meetpotential investors, employers, employees, partners, vendors etc. Thisis one of the reasons why even the most anti-social amongst us couldbenefit from attending events, happy hours, meeting with people forcoffee etc… If you are trying to build a business in a smallecosystem, then simply being part of the ecosystem can be worth yourwhile.
3. Does it keep your juices flowing? If so, it may beworth your while just so that you don’t rust and / or get lost in theever pushing flow of progress. This is one reason why it is useful tovolunteer your services to non-profits, or to help out a friend, or tomentor a student or…. Momentum is useful, inertia is deadly.
4.Does it make you happy? This is the most nebulous of them all, but maybe the most valuable. It is absolutely fine to do something just becauseyou want to. If it makes you happy, then it’s valuable. Especially whenlife is generally stressful, it’s okay to do something just because youwant to. Sometimes, people just need to hone their craft or complete aproject without having to worry about revenue, business plans oranything else. You know, just do it to do it.
Not everything isworth your while. But a lot of things are, and you owe it to yourself tofind value and pleasure anywhere you can – even in your work!
