Archive for July 17th, 2007

How Gen-Y Is Decentralizing Corporate America

Published by Ryan Healy on July 17th, 2007 in Entrepreneurship | 23 Comments

According to adults the world works in a centralized, hierarchical structure and that's the way it will always be. They say young people will eventually adapt and accept things for how they are, despite the fact that decentralized websites and organizations have defined our childhood and early adult years.

I don't buy it. We grew up with open source websites like Napster and Kazaa. Now we use Wikipedia and Craig's List daily. All of these sites have one thing in common; users control them. I don't need permission to post an apartment for rent on Craigs List and I can make up any word I want and create a definition in Wikipedia.

Now there is undeniable proof that Gen-Y is bringing decentralized organizations mainstream…

After turning down $1 billion, 23 year-old Mark Zuckerberg took the user controlled Facebook to a whole new level by allowing everyone to create applications without pre-approval. If you really think about it, Facebook allows anyone to work for them without the hassle of reporting up the ladder, attending pointless meetings or even leaving their living rooms. With a good idea, a little programming knowledge and a small amount of money, anyone can make money through Facebook while simultaneously increasing the company's bottom line.

Facebook's revolutionary new concept is just a glimpse into the all inclusive, non-hierarchical, "out of the box" future that generation-Y will continue to invent and embrace. My friend and web designer, Devin Reams reaffirmed this thought when he told me about his experience at Startup Weekend.

The event began on a Friday, when 70 people showed up above a bike shop in Boulder, CO to vote on their favorite previously submitted business ideas. They decided to create a business that allowed people to take quick polls of their friends' opinions.

"We broke into groups based on 'expertise': business development, PR/marketing, user experience, design, front end development, back end development, and legal. The groups allowed for quick action," says Devin. "We had seven-minute update meetings every hour and the each hour flew by. On Sunday night we had a business model, website, and marketing campaigns ready to go for a product launch."

Read the rest at The Brazen Careerist.

ABOUT RYAN HEALY

Ryan Healy is the Co-Founder and COO of Brazen Careerist, a social network for Gen Y professionals. He lives in Madison, WI and blogs about social media, recruiting, entrepreneurship, generational issues and how to make the world a better place. Ryan is also a featured keynote speaker, sports lover, tireless worker and devoted friend, boyfriend and son. To learn more about Ryan, visit the about page or check out his profile on Brazen Careerist.

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