Ideas are hyper-inflated

Illiad posted a cartoon today that really solidified a lot of the character of my favourite tech news site Hacker News.

While he is being pretty flippant (as usual) I think this analogy is actually an excellent one. Comparing ideas to Z$ fits the notion that the intrinsic value of ideas is very much subject to a half-life. Like currency in hyper-inflaction the value of ideas quickly deceases the longer that it goes without being spent. In the case of ideas being “spent” is of course being turned into an implementation.

In the developed world this cycle is somewhat staunched by the patent system which allows a company or individual to stake a monopoly on a particularly valuable idea (or more specifically a suggested implementation of it) and delay the decay of its value. However, this system has taken on something of a cold-war-esque feel to it as more companies choose not to implemented but only enforce their patent rights (often acquired).

In contrast companies like Fedex have been openly sharing their business processes with university students. They see their ability to implement their processes, operating knowledge and attitude as the drivers of their success. As such they have no fear of opening up their business to others knowing it’s their implementation that makes them successful rather than just their raw ideas.

Essentially what it boils down to is the Hacker News attitude, build stuff, don’t just talk about it.