What happens when everyone becomes connected to everyone else? What happens when it becomes easy to find the right book, employee or discount deal
Websites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Amazon, Monster, Groupon and many others are making it easy to connect with the right person or item. As this happens, as the world becomes more connected, it's my belief that specialization will become more important.
When you live in a village of five people, that standard of cooking that you tolerate is lower - the best of the five in the village. When you live in a world of six billion that is connected by the Internet, you suddenly can find really great cooks - whether it be through LinkedIn, Monster or other means.
The consequence of this connected world is that great cooks are going to be in higher demand. You are now going to have to be exceptional to get all the privileges that a great cook might be afforded.
But you don't have to be a great cook. You can be the world's best salsa dancer that can also cook. Or you could best a writer that can dance salsa. The trick is in finding the right niche to specialize in that has the potential for wide popularity and interest.
In Eric Ries's case, it is in being arguably the world's greatest writer-speaker-thinker-entreprenuer at the current time. It's a well chosen niche, for he is deservedly reaping the rewards. Check out his new book.
