Mindset: You Are A Business

You Are A Business

You are a business. When I learned this simple concept, that mindset changed the way I viewed myself, and ultimately helped me to make more money.

What do I mean when I say, you are a business?

Earlier today I listened to a programmer rant about how he’s worried about clients stealing his code.

He talked about “sweat equity”, which is essentially a party’s contribution to a project in effort.

He also talked about IPR or intellectual property rights, as well as “fairness”.

The topics of “fairness” and also came up.

Here is my point of view.

None of that actually matters. Not one bit.

None of it matters because none of that is where intrinsic value lies.

Let’s say a client hires me to develop his idea. What is that client paying me for – the code I create, or the time it takes me to get his idea developed?

Either way, it doesn’t matter, because the value is ultimately the end result.

The client wants x and I want y – it’s just an exchange, nothing more.

That’s because I am not a programmer. I am a business, and programming is just a service I offer.

It is on you to determine what you are worth, and charge accordingly.

A client might want the actual code for a proprietary product. They have to pay me for code ownership.

Or, a client might be up against a deadline and want the project done quickly. They have to pay me for that too.

The ONLY way that works is if you understand that you are a business.

When you start thinking in those terms, everything changes.

You find out quickly how to determine your own value, so whether you contribute time or a product you can make sure you get paid according to your value.

You also learn that you aren’t limited to just what you can immediately offer, like a skill.

Things like intuition and creativity also comes into play.

Understanding that you are a business means that you aren’t restricted to one profession or one idea.

It is actually very freeing to know that you can learn something new and grow and expand and raise your value.

You don’t need to start a business in order to make money. You are a business.