Artisans in business

Scratch notes (ignore grammar mistakes and embrace swearing).

I’ve been thinking: developed economies spent – at least – a third of the twentieth centry trying to repair economic damage incurred by war, gain economic momentum and grow. A focus on growth, margins and profit, from the fifties and onward, created faceless organisations, which produced medicore quality, mass produced products and services. Comodification was the overall output of these economic notions and organisations.

Suddenly, and not without reason, production costs began to rise and businesses started to outsource their operations because they were predominantly competing on price and not much else aside a brand name. This went on for sometime and then global compeition, coupled with an increase in foriegn imports, started to kill off local manufacturing. The faceless organisations began to lay people off; jobs were lost; we just kept on buying shit from elsewhere because it was cheaper. Customer experience was forgotten and the economy suffered because businesseses lost their passion and innovation due to organisational bureaucracy, six sigma crap (you know who you fuckers are) and the accumulation of dead wood.

A new breed of businesses are starting to change commerce. I call them Artisan organisations and they will be the ‘green shoots’ that will kick-start local business, employment and manufacturing. Who are they? They’re Milkbar, Racer Rosa, Foffa Bikes, Howies, Joe & The Juice, SeaSalt and Huit Denim to name a few. These businesses have been built on a genuine passion to deliver beautiful, memorable products and experiences without exception; they use the best materials; employ artisans that see the beauty in what they produce, and maintain common ethics. The Artisan’s goals are the business’s goals and vice versa. You’ll never meet a person that doesn’t know what they’re talking about or encounter a truly horrific customer experience because everybody loves what they’re doing.

If you care about something enough, go and work for a company that shares your interest or concern. Better still, set the company up yourself. You’ll get the job because you care and your company – with some graft – will succeed for the same reasons. My thoughts are heavily influenced by David Heaitt and Steve Jobs; however, when you start looking around and notice the people that are winning, you realise that they were right.

Photo by Andreas Gursky