Allow for the Weather

To sustainably make money, you need Capital (outflows come before inflows), a Product (offer that matches an ask), and a Container (to get paid). The smoothest way to get money is to get a job. Employers use their capital to pay for upfront expenses. The work taker pays for the cost of working (clothes, commute, living close to work, food, entertainment to maintain mojo). If work takers live hand to mouth and don’t build up some Capital, then they are relying on (1) the business/institution that pays their salary to survive, and (2) their job to remain an offer someone is looking for. They are focused on the product, the business is their container, and their earning ability is their Capital. That is brave/dangerous. The business may be a container within a bigger container. You may live in a rich country like the UK where the government can provide support. You may live in a country like South Africa, where the container is leaking and fragile. When thinking of how to make money, we tend to focus on the product. More fundamental is risk management. The products needed change. Invest in the strength of capital and containers to create a consistent foundation to allow that dynamism. Invest in the ability to adapt, adjust, and accommodate.