I just read a perceptive post on adding value with your products by Chris Dixon, an investor and entrepreneur. He rightly points out that start-ups should consider what value they’re adding to society with their products or services, value beyond the obvious usage value. I’ve been thinking a lot about this because I realized earlier this year that I had to be 100% engaged with a start-up concept or it was not worth doing. That realization led to me writing down the various ideas, situations and opportunities that I had on my plate and  then comparing their value to me. And it turned out that simplest and most easily explained concept was the one that stood out, 24PageBooks.

The reasons it stood out include:

• I could see the entire structure in front of me, made clear by the changes in the eBook world, driven by Apple and Amazon, in particular their generous terms for indie publishers.
• It leverages my core faculty- the ability to explain things succinctly in a compelling way, in writing
• I could partner with someone I’ve done a lot of projects with whose skills are a great fit with mine, Mike Johnson.
• The company could be run from anywhere with no employees, no distribution or inventory and no need for any infrastructure
• It has the potential of being very profitable while remaining manageable
• The products I’m making add value to people’s lives

The last bullet goes to Chris’s point. Whether I’m helping people make new connections, learn business skills, understand emerging networks or use a charcoal grill like a master, in each case I’m adding value to their lives and I’m not requiring a lot of their valuable time to do it. Knowing this makes building the business a completely exciting non-job, which what any start-up should be.