Information asymmetry is dead.
A Pokémon card shop in rural Germany now has access to the same global pricing data as anyone else. They can choose to ignore it, but if they do, people won’t buy. Why pay 50 euros for a collection box you can find for 22 + 5 euros shipping somewhere else?
There are Youtube channels covering Beyblade toys, ancient music, and how to build your own, off-grid solar applications, each with a million regular viewers. There are apps tracking the US Congress’ members stock trades and blogs dedicated to product leaks from a single firm.
Whatever the category of information, 99.99% of it is already out there. So how can you contribute?
Do you stay up late to watch the latest episode of your favorite TV show, then quickly transcribe and publish it for the world to use? Nope, too late, someone already did that. Do you stay up even later and edit an entire video pointing out all the easter eggs and hidden references others might have missed? Nope, someone already did that too.
Really, you only have one option: You add creativity. In a world where information is abundant, creativity is how you stand out.
Instead of rehashing the same old pricing data on Pokémon cards, you gather your own pull rate data and share that in a unique format. Instead of trying to collect rare cards you’ll never be able to afford, you draw on cheap ones and create pictures that stun the world.
Sometimes, even the same information presented differently makes a lot more sense. Most often, however, we don’t need more information at all. What we need is innovation, inspiration, and meaning. What we need is your unique self more so than your advantage of living next to Tesla’s factory.
Choose creativity over information. That’s how you make a difference.