This ain’t no revolution

2011-07-06

Five years after I started CD Baby, when it was a big success, the media said I had revolutionized the music business.

But “revolution” is a term that people use only when you’re successful. Before that, you’re just a quirky person who does things differently.

People think revolution needs to involve loud provocations, fists in the air, and bloodshed.

But if you think true love looks like Romeo and Juliet, you’ll overlook a great relationship that grows slowly.

If you think your life’s purpose needs to hit you like a lightning bolt, you’ll overlook the little day-to-day things that fascinate you.

If you think revolution needs to feel like war, you’ll overlook the importance of simply serving people better.

When you’re on to something great, it won’t feel like revolution. It’ll feel like uncommon sense.

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Sean Crawford (2017-08-17) #
You've written before about people wanting too much drama in their life.
Let's create and be bountiful.

I suppose the term revolution comes from when people thought money and power was a like a fixed pie. More power for you meant less power for me. Sometimes I wonder if this lingering model explains why today male chauvinists don't want to give equal rights/power to women.

Better to think of power and money as something to be created and shared. Like music, or new companies (like CD Baby) creating new wealth.

The old model came from a revolving wheel, putting the third estate at the top, and sending the first estate at the bottom.
Sean Crawford (2019-01-21) #
I guess I could explicitly point out that the above comment has lots of models, or metaphors, or something.

Derek, today you pointed out (on your now page, or else your writing page) that you have just eased your project-stress by switching to a tightrope model, which I guess means don't look down at your fears, and keep your balance by looking ahead.

I want to say to folks that I think it can help to go into muse mode and see if a new model fits better. It was a serious engineer who said, "There is nothing so practical as a good theory."
Alexander Popov (2021-01-06) #
As they say, "It takes years to become an overnight success."

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