Second, workers now own the means of production. In the industrial economy, the tools necessary to create wealth were too expensive for one person to purchase, too cumbersome for one person to operate, and too large for one person to house. Not anymore. Today, the tools necessary to create wealth -- for example, the iBook on which I'm writing this sentence -- are easy for a lone individual to purchase, operate, and house. So why would that lone individual want to share the profits that he or she is creating? The lesson: Even with layoffs on the rise, organizations need individuals more than individuals need organizations.
Third, corporate life spans are shrinking. Remember a little outfit called Netscape? Netscape was formed in 1994, went public in 1995, and was gone by 1999, subsumed into AOL's operation. This giant of the new economy reached only its fourth birthday. Question: Was Netscape a company -- or was it really an extremely cool project? More important question: Does the distinction matter? Here's what does matter: That short-lived entity put several products on the market, prompted powerful companies (notably Microsoft) to shift strategies, and equipped a few thousand individuals with experience, wealth, and connections that they could bring to their next project. The lesson: People, not companies, are "built to last." Most of us will outlive any organization for which we work.
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