A friend once told me, “never give away your work for free.”
Eh. Because what is “work” and what is “free?”
If you paint your own house, that’s probably not work in the sense we’re describing. But if you do the exact same thing for your neighbor, it probably is work.
If you write and email a newsletter around to your family that recaps the Phillies’ devastating loss to the Mets in the NLDS, you wouldn’t expect them to pay you. But what if your cousin who works for a sports media publisher read it and asked if they could publish it? You’d probably expect them to pay you.
Now three and a half months into our 4TLAS startup journey, I’ve thought a lot about what work and free mean in our context.
I’ve spoken to many people who are generous with their expertise, time, and energy — gave much to me for free. One could definitely argue that it was work for them. OK, maybe not grueling, but still. I’m ever grateful for those people.
I’ve also run into a few who were uninterested in having a discussion unless money was on the table. I get it.
Working for free is an investment. If you give away your expertise, skills, or labor for free, you are (as you should be) looking for a return on that investment. It might be monetary, but it might also be something entirely different, such as connection, respect, or that good feeling you get from helping.
I think it’s about reading the moment and deciding what kind of value you’re after. Money is one way to measure that worth. But also, the return comes in the form of ideas, momentum, and doors that open simply because you chose to invest yourself in the right place, with the right people.
And many times, that ephemeral return turns into monetary wealth.
