Image by Steve Crane via Flickr

Although the US economy continues its downward spiral, every now and then I’m starting to see a few glimmers of hope. Discussions about sustainable growth and possibilities for a new economy are starting to bubble to the surface. Take Umair Haque’s ”Smart Growth Manifesto“, for example, which describes four pillars of smart growth: 

1. Outcomes, not income
2. Connections, not transactions
3. People, not product
4. Creativity, not productivity

These pillars are driving themes in the current “Web 2.0″ environment and are largely responsible for the durability of companies that successfully make connections (even if they aren’t making money.) Chris Brogan’s articles on “cafe-shaped businesses” also focus on businesses who can (and do) connect with people and the positive results. 

Ok, so what does this have to do with my “super-center” vs market analogy? And, what does this have to do with technology (because, no, I am not changing this to an economics blog?)

The local market is dead. Long live the local market.

Before the massive infrastructure and technology advances we made in the mid to late 20th century, you either grew your food or bought it from your neighborhood grocer. Then came the supermarkets (and later, the supercenters) with their endless variety of products at continually lower prices, all available at any time of day or night. This bigger and better mania seemed to bring benefits to consumers – with food prices lower, you could spend money on other products; with pre-packaged foods, you had more free time to spend relaxing with your family; since stores were open for longer hours, you could just stop in and grab what you wanted at any time. Convenience, abundance, don’t worry about it, it will all be fine… Until it’s not. Until you end up broke, fat, and stressed from the blessings of convenience. 

Mass production and globalization have not brought wealth and happiness to the masses; they muddle everything together, making products that are okay, but not exceptional. Beige and gray instead of magenta and lime. But, occasionally, individuals have opted out of this monolithic view of industry.  It may be a grocer who stocks their shelves with bread from the baker down the street, milk from the local dairy, and vegetables from the farmer’s co-op just up the road. It may be a craft shop that sources sustainably produced fibers and recycles vintage findings. It may be an entrepreneur who decides to keep and grow their business in town, hiring local talent, and connecting with other local resources. 

Your technology resources should be sustainable, too.

Time will tell if the technology giants will face the same fate as other large companies are right now, and since they’re still relatively young (well, compared to banks they’re young), they might be able to adapt. But, aren’t many of these giants pushing the same story as the supermarkets – “Get it here, anytime, as much as you want, and it’s all free.”   Will we ever learn our lesson?

How about finding and rewarding those companies that do their job well, and do it in a meaningful way? Instead of making a product decision based solely on price and features, how about adding in the factors of: transparency, responsiveness, community involvement, employee relations, etc… I can practically guarantee that those secondary factors will be the ones that will affect your daily dealings with that company.

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