A lesson I wish I had learned sooner: learn to create value.
Like most things worth doing, it’s simple but not easy.
Value creation can be in the form of products, media, or services.
Most students often don’t know how what they’re learning in school applies to the real world. The concepts learned in k-12 and higher education seem pointless when they’re all you know.
In fact, there’s a clear divide between “real-world” problems and the academic world. Public school teachers often have no “real-world” experience and therefore don’t know how to contextualize the content being taught in class.
The closest I ever got was in advanced math and science classes where we did problem sets involving moving cars or lab experiments to measure chemical changes.
Now, back to the original question, what is value creation?—It’s the act of creating something for yourself or others to save time/money.
As a doctor, lawyer, consultant you’re providing a service to others for money. Whatever service you provide requires specialized knowledge or certifications from years of schooling.
As an engineer, you make products for others. They can either be paid or free with alternative monetization methods. Products are not only things people can see: physical products, medicine, cars, etc… They can also be digital. For example, everything on your phone is a digital product created by a person or company.
As a marketer, videographer, or creative you’re creating media for others to consume. This media can be visual, auditory or text-based.
The secret to making money is creating value.
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Read this if you haven’t already:
