OpenBusiness » Blog Archive » Building on Open Business as Entrepreneurs Lifecycle Management
This is building on http://www.openbusiness.cc/2006/08/29/open-business-as-entrepreneurs-lifecycle-management/

I think it is possible to create knowledge bases of ways that people can accomplish things by “doing less with more�, for one.

I theorize that invest would be more willing to fund alliances of micro-enterprises if those micro-enterprises were able to show they can compete with, or outcompete traditional companies (and I believe that they will be able to).

I also think that alliances of micro-enteprises will ultimately be better positioned to take advantage of open knowledge/co-created knowledge commons, open source software, open design, and commons-based licenses. I think that alliances of micro-enterprises will eventually increasinlgy be able to out-innovate and out-perform current corporate institutions.

Example: I could create a site online that invites people to suggest and discuss something that they would like to see created, like a new type of software product, or a new type of service. Micro-entreprenuers could work right on the site (perhaps a wiki or something similar) with the enthusiasts. Then, people could bid to fund the projects, and micro-entreprenuers, or alliances of them, could bid to create or administer the project. The whole project creation knowledge base could be open. And, the project proposer could specify that they even want the design or content of the product to be open (instead of patent, copyright, or closed license).

In this system, you have a whole process that stands apart from the traditional way that people solve problems through business. You have an easy to access way for people to lay out visions, and make rules up front about how they are used. You also have an easy way for individuals, small groups, and whole communities to make a constantly growing shared knowledge base. And, you have a way that people can raise capital. You have a way for people without a lot of capital to participate in directly investing in whatever they want to. And, because they can invest small amounts, you have way for small investors to spread their risk.

Another project proposer could be a company IBM, deciding to use the system to outsource more traditional work. The system would be open to micro-enterprises, traditional companies, volunteers who want to work on open projects, etc