What is a New Economy Superstar?
So, now that we understand what the New Economy is all about, and the types of work people do in it, what is a New Economy Superstar?
In the old economy where mass media prevails, a superstar is typically a celebrity who became popular with an enormous audience. Because so few channels exist in the old economy and so many middlemen and gatekeepers stand between a superstar and his or her fans, an audience of millions was required to make the model work.
In the New Economy, where there are different communities for every imaginable taste or interest, and direct connections with customers are possible, superstars exist on a different scale.
A New Economy Superstar is someone who finds success (as he or she defines it) by leveraging the new competitive power of the individual and small business.
Being a superstar in the New Economy doesn’t imply fame or popularity. Because the New Economy is much more egalitarian, our definition of superstar has similarly been transformed.
Being a superstar in the New Economy doesn’t imply fame or popularity.
Success “as you define it” is another key component of the definition. Success might mean earning enough to take six months off every year. Success might mean being able to live and work from anywhere in the world. Success might mean being able to support yourself by selling your music or art directly to your audience without relying on gatekeepers.
Because the benefits of succeeding in the New Economy (as we’ll discuss in the next part of the book) can be so fulfilling, people who do succeed will feel like superstars even without millions of adoring fans and 8-figure incomes.
Kevin Kelly talks about finding your 1000 True Fans. Others talk about micro-celebrity or micro-patronage. Tim Ferriss refers to people he calls the New Rich. Whatever you call it, there’s no doubt that we’ve entered a new era in the way people live and work.
Everywhere you look, you might notice a new kind of flexible, smart small business. They serve a relatively small number of people. Big businesses drool over their profit margins and adaptability. Their customers are knocked out by what they do and how they do it.
Oh, and one more thing. They’re taking over the world.
Sonia Simone, Finding Your Village of Customers
