The Compound Effect of Multiple Means of Open
A surprise revelation for me in this work has been the discovery that open business models are increasingly open in more ways than one. At the beginning of this open business models adventure I’d expected most organization to be adopting open business models that simply make certain assets openly licensed with Creative Commons.
But the more businesses I speak to the more it becomes apparent that organizations convinced of the benefits of open are adopting multiple means of open and in doing so seeking to compound the benefits open brings. I call this the “compound effect of multiple means of open”. Let me give you a few examples from recent conversations I’ve had.
Startup Openwords is developing a language learning app. Here are multiple ways of open Openwords is building into their business model:
- Openwords learning resources are Open Educational Resources. They are free and available for others to reuse, remix, revise, redistribute and retain.
- The Openwords app is being developed as open source software.
- Openwords uses openly licensed language data from Wiktionary and Apertium. Language data Openwords generates will also be open and reciprocally shared back.
Openwords sees itself as a social enterprise where openness is key to sustainability.
Tumuult is a design studio headquartered in Berlin. They provide complete package solutions for museum exhibitions including designs, structures, furniture, catalog, touring, and workshops. Here are the multiple ways Tumuult is building openness into their business model:
- Tumuult has a set of open designs for exhibition structures and furniture that can be 3D printed or made into small models, placed on a table and used interactively to design an exhibition scenography. The physical structures that then are produced are modular and completely reusable by a museum for other exhibitions. (Museums typically throw out their exhibition structures after an exhibition and do not use them again. Tumuult believes museums should be able to reuse them, replace parts, and customize designs — all enabled through open commons design.)
- the exhibition catalog is openly licensed
- resources associated with touring, workshops, panels and discussions are also open
For Tumuult culture is a commons and, in their words, their key competitive advantage is they make everything open.
Seats2meet.com sees itself as part of the new sharing economy. Similar to the way Uber has created a ride sharing business around the abundance of cars and Airbnb a lodging rental business based on the abundance of homes and apartments, Seats2meet focuses on leveraging the abundance of physical meeting and working space. Their software lets organizations take space they have and make it available to others providing access to innovative work spaces and meeting spaces where workers can easily connect and collaborate with others. Seats2meet’s innovative business model is based not just on traditional monetary capital but on social capital.
All independent workers are free to come in and work in a Seats2meet space without paying anything. When you check in to the physical space you are asked to describe your knowledge, capabilities, and projects you are working on — things you have to share. The software system then matches you to others in that space who have a shared interest and/or need for knowledge and skills you have. Requests for assistance which you fulfill is how you pay. You pay with your social capital not your monetary capital.
Out of the connections that are made in Seats2meet co-working spaces people start to collaborate, create new companies, and new jobs. Seats2meet calls this “digital serendipity”. Seats2meet monetizes on this by renting meeting, office and event space to the new companies that emerge.
The irony of most businesses in the sharing economy is that they aren’t open and don’t share. Seats2meet aims to be different by being open. Their founder, Ronald van den Hoff, has written a book Society 3.0 which is licensed with Creative Commons and available as a free download. They’ve established themselves as a BCorps, are making all their information open, and have asked us to help them improve their use of Creative Commons across the entire initiative.
And then there is the most open of all — OERu. Open educational resources (OER), open educational practices (OEP), open access, open licensing, open source software, open planning, and open philanthropy are core practices integral to their business model. OERu is distinctively open.
Many of these examples are at the early stages of becoming a business. But I’m fascinated to see their efforts at generating a compound effect by pursuing multiple means of openness. Tracking the evolution and success of this strategy over time will be equally fascinating. Will being open in everything you do become a strategic competitive advantage?
