Comments for A cup of coffee at http://unreasonablemen.net , comment 1 to 1 out of 1 comments http://unreasonablemen.net Sat, 31 Jul 2010 11:30:20 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://unreasonablemen.net/index.php/Blogs/A-cup-of-coffee.html#comment-195 the problem with that is that we are all doing it and this causes disturbances in the force. One person can give away their value because they get value in return, in this case a coffee, but this may do damage to another part of the industry where people are trying to charge for this very service. Equilibrium does find itself eventually and there are winners and lossers, but along the way models that work are busted to peices. The industry we play is in media. Some examples. -Because of digital cameras newspapers can now easily get photos for free from people on the side of the street. Now they dont want to pay photographers anything for a photo. $50 is the going rate - totally unsustainable to be a photographer. Thats why so many photographers do weddings.... -PR companies write articles about products under the guise of journalism. They give this to Magazines for free. Now this kills the market for proper journalists doing original work. And pumps the magazines full of stuff that the customers dont want to read. Two industries changed forever.. for the better or the worst.. We now are trying to make a startup business grow, and everyone wants to swap something for what we propose they pay for. Great to have a house full of free t-shirts but it doesnt pay the bills. My advice.. You must pay market rates for your services. Honour the code and we all prosper. Get everything for free, and eventually it all breaks down. - BigMig Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:58:00 +0100