27A – Reading Reflection No. 3

Book of Choice: Makers by Chris Anderson

General Theme/Argument: In Makers, Anderson tries to purport the idea that a third industrial revolution is coming upon us in the near future, this revolution being the advent of the possibility of everyday individuals to become manufacturers, designers, and what have you. He believes that in the near future, people will use open source software and tools to create the next big thing. He believes that the people themselves will own production lines/means, and that it will be less of a move in the direction of big companies like Google and Amazon. He believes that this will have an overwhelmingly positive impact upon the world, empowering people in places everywhere.

This is certainly a very bold idea, and one that I do not agree with at all. From what I have seen of the world and from my first hand experiences and manufacturing, design, and engineering, none of these things will be happening any time soon. We as sole individuals do not possess that power. However, when we harness it together in large conglomerates, we can really drive innovation as a whole and as a society.

If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.

Connection to ENT3003: One of the things that I do have to applaud Makers for is the underlyingly positive message that it seeks to send. This is one of the things that we learn here in ENT3003 as well, and I believe that it is necessary to succeed both as an entrepreneur and just in life in general. Without a positive outlook and a resilient attitude (surpassing failures, as we talked about recently), we can’t get far. However, with it, the sky is the limit.

Exercise: If I had to make an exercise, it would consist of asking everyone to think of three things that they could build using resources at home, online, or in their circle. What I really think Makers is about is thinking on your feet and using the things around you- being resourceful and creative. I would have everyone think of such things and then share with one another and get feedback on them. This would allow everyone to see that they truly are capable of doing things, building things, right here and right now. You don’t have to be an expert to build something, and the same applies to being an entrepreneur. You just have to think, plan, act, and roll with the punches!

Biggest Surprise Moment: My biggest ‘aha’ moment definitely came from reading the bits about how Anderson truly believes that the everyday person can be a designer, manufacturer, or creator and build the next big thing. While I usually am a proponent of such beliefs, I’m also a realist in the regard that I think there is a finite limit as to what one person can do, especially dependent upon their circumstances and the opportunities given to them (check out Outliers by Malcom Gladwell, he makes a profound case for this). While I want to say that everyone can be the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, it’s just not feasible. However, I get that Anderson is trying to promote creativity and open source development. While his beliefs are rather radical in my opinion, I admire them for the inspiration they give. After all, you never know what you are truly capable of until you do it!