Thread by @robertoblake

Teaching moment:

Here is why some people who can absolutely afford it; ask people to do free work to test for opportunities for them, and why it’s a good thing:

When you pay for work and can afford whoever you want, you don’t experiment, you are biased.

(THREAD)

Which means up and comers will never be on your list if you’re paying to work with a stranger.

You will put your money towards certainty and a lack of frustration.

You will pick a veteran and not even think of taking a chance on a rookie. It’s about risk.

People get mad about whenever a person who can obviously afford to pay, ask for free work.

The problem is that if you’re being generous with someone you else’s money and access… you’re an asshole. Yes I said it.

Let’s continue:

I’ve watched the doors be closed to new comers because of people being outraged on their behalf.

The only way to cut in front of the established players is to be a top talent or have an in with someone.

If you’re a rookie, that’s impossible. You have no shot.

Being able to work for FREE means there is no risk to the person hiring and at the same time the bar is a bit lower in terms of expectations.

This lets new blood have a fighting chance to get in and get momentum in their career.

Yeah, not everyone can afford to work for FREE.

But my making the fact everyone can’t afford to work for FREE you’re making that the problem of someone who could just PAY for an ESTABLISHED person.

And if you come at them, that’s what will happen.

You denied ppl the chance that was ok the table.

Not everyone is at rock bottom, and if you are, working for someone who might be very demanding and very particular, even if you’re desperate for money is probably not good for you;

But it might be fine for plenty of other people who would love the opportunity.

Not every single opportunity is supposed to be available to everyone, because not everyone is suited to every opportunity.

Doing thing that you’re not suited to makes ppl miserable and wrecks their mental health and self esteem.

Then there is the argument of “being paid in exposure”.

Over the last few years I paid an artist maybe $2000 and referred them to 10 people,

Because I only saw them because of the FREE exposure they got doing FREE work for someone admire.

If you don’t believe exposure is compensation I would remind you that Google and Facebook built their entire business selling “exposure “ called advertising, for the purpose of putting people in front of someone who will pay for a product or service…

Working for FREE might be the only way to get somewhere that your talent or current level of connections can’t get you.

That is why people do it.
People who willingly do it are not being exploited.

People are happy to pay, then be selective and they have a right to be picky.

So to give more people opportunity, FREE work and SPEC work exist.

Outrage culture won’t get people on the bottom more opportunities.

It will close doors and people will double down on who they already know it who is already established.

And we’ve seen it happen in 4K.

Just remember that people who aren’t absolutely at the bottom exist. There is plenty of people in the middle, in fact the majority of people probably are in the middle.

It’s not appropriate to frame everything as a tug of war between people with excess and people with nothing.

You can further understand the point of my thread by imaging if someone who didn’t have my background, my story and lived experience, saying these exact same things.

How would that go over for them?

Here is the lesson:

Beyond just live and let live, if you think things should be different, YOU DO IT.

And then talk about why YOU DO IT, without insisting anyone else do it the same way.

SHOW then why it’s better instead of telling them do it or they are “evil”.

I could have just tweeted:

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD…

But added:

Without insisting other people be the change you want to see in the world… because you can’t get your ish together. /s