noticing the servile social structure implicit in the Business Model Canvas
how to adapt and use the canvas for compatibility with human values of (self & other) respect and esteem
Business Model Generation is an interesting book introducing the idea of business models, and providing a ‘canvas’ tool for easily sketching ideas for business models. So… what’s the shape of that tool, what sort of envelope on possible business models results from its use?
Well… the gist of the Business Model Canvas is (using a grocery store as an example):
- you define Value Propositions (get groceries here) that will appeal to your Customer Segments (consumers of groceries).
- Your value proposition is delivered via Channels (the grocery store). You maintain Customer Relationships (grocery store loyalty card, promotions, customer database, personal relationships etc.) so as to not lose market share to other businesses.
- In order to keep up all this customer facing activity, you must maintain Key Activities (obtaining groceries to sell on, store upkeep) and Key Resources (staff, the store) and Key Partners (delivery company).
- All of this activity has monetary implications, which are defined in the Cost Structure (salaries, inventory costs, rent) and Revenue Streams (sales).
So… I would call this a customer-centric revenue generation framework. The value proposition is the centre of the whole thing and it exists to satisfy the customer, who is the provider of revenue, the implied ultimate goal.
There is a companion book, Business Model You, which transposes this model, with apparently minimal modification onto individual careers. So… that would appear to be a client-centric income generation framework. The value proposition is the centre of the whole thing and it exists solely to satisfy the client, who is the provider of income, the implied ultimate goal.
This is all very well, but my problem with it is that the whole shape of this is very servile, in both the business and career canvases.
Granted, running operations these days has cost implications, and you could use the business model canvas to sketch activity with a balanced (non-profit) cost/revenue structure, but you’d still be left with the servile structure of existing to please the customer.
Granted, you can overload the revenue streams section with non-monetary ‘benefits’. So now I’m pleasing the customer for non-monetary benefits. Servility in pursuit of benefits is starting to feel pretty grimy.
Let’s look at a historical progression of some kinds of careers here:
- Slavery — you do as I say in return for not getting killed or hurt. Your living situation is taken care of, to some usually low standard. You have job security because I, or a fresh buyer, is getting such a good deal out of you.
- Employment — you do as I say in return for money. Your living situation is your business. We’ll set up society so that however much I pay you, the chances are you’ll end up frittering away all or more of your money on your living situation (lifestyle). You have job security insofar as it’s inconvenient for me to replace you/your talents.
- Self-employment — you do whatever you want, so long as somebody is willing to pay for it. Your job security is dependent on your ability to find people who will pay for your services.
What’s common to all these models is that they are based around the individual serving a master, with increasing abstraction along the way, but the underlying structure persists.
In fact, it’s even more pernicious than that: a slavery model can be maintained by a minimum of 2 people and doesn’t need much in the way of supportive infrastructure. You’re my slave, end of. Employment models require more and more entrenched social structure to support them: there has to be somewhere for you to go and spend what I pay you, and structures in place to stop too many of you investing in not needing my payment any more. Self-employment requires even more social structural support because the employees need to be persuaded/educated to identify with their value proposition. You can be a grumpy/work-shy employee, but grumpy/work-shy self-employees tend to do very badly…
So… what’s the solution here? Rather than customer-centric revenue generation frameworks, what about mission-centric collaborative frameworks? Of course concepts like cost structures and value propositions would still have meaning, but the underlying assumption wouldn’t be servile, it would be of equals cooperating. One change this would precipitate to the canvas is that there would be less distinction between partners and customers, and consequently partner relationships and channels would become more automatically relevant… Also, an awareness of the servile nature of many business/economic frameworks would help to raise the discussion around more valuable alternatives.
(originally posted here: http://proto.conskeptical.net/post/149131463649/noticing-the-servile-social-structure-implicit-in)
