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Working for Free

Working for Free

Presented at reboot 10 in Copenhagen, Denmark, I focus on my practice of working for free, and talk about the benefits of this approach to engaging with clients.

Peter Rukavina

June 27, 2008
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  1. working
    for
    free

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  2. Raise the Dead of Wintertime
    A sighing wind brings heavy snow
    Every good woodcutter knows
    It fills the road and blocks the door
    It lays and stays and waits for more
    The Jeffery boys are strong and lean
    The best damn workers you’ve ever seen
    They’ll cut more wood
    than a horse can haul
    Near six chords before nightfall
    We’ll get up at the break of day
    And hitch the morgan to the sleigh
    And as we work we’ll sing a rhyme
    And raise the dead of wintertime
    Deep in the woods our fuel is born
    It meets the axe to keep us warm
    We trim the branches, pile it high
    And leave it for the wind to dry
    The yellow birch, the spruce so red
    And juniper to bake good bread
    Hard maple when the flame’s in doubt
    And cedar if the fire dies out
    And when at night we’re by the stove
    Our bellies full and our stories told
    The winds of winter might blow cold
    But none of us will feel it
    Allan Rankin
    “New Branches”
    Wild Garden Music
    1995

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  3. working
    for
    free

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  4. is not...

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  5. not
    charity

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  6. not
    volunteering

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  7. not interning

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  8. not bartering

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  9. not
    businesslike

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  10. not
    altruistic

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  11. and

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  12. (perhaps)

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  13. not
    rational

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  14. working
    for
    free

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  15. involves no...

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  16. no
    selling

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  17. no
    advertising

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  18. no
    estimates

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  19. no
    invoices

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  20. no
    payroll

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  21. no
    taxes

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  22. no
    boss

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  23. no
    meetings

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  24. no
    fear of
    losing a job

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  25. and

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  26. no
    money

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  27. working
    for
    free

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  28. provides...

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  29. creative
    license

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  30. influence

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  31. access

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  32. equality

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  33. power

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  34. risk

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  35. respite

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  36. opportunity

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  37. and

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  38. freedom

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  39. working

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  40. is like
    prostitution

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  41. working
    for
    free

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  42. is like
    home-based sex

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  43. View Slide

  44. huh?

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  45. View Slide

  46. View Slide

  47. View Slide

  48. procrastina
    tion

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  49. o
    I-
    [ ]

    [Casa Mia]
    o
    I
    -
    u
    ()
    the talk

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  50. o
    I-
    [ ]

    [Casa Mia]
    o
    I
    -
    u
    ()
    the talk

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  51. o
    I-
    [ ]

    [Casa Mia]
    o
    I
    -
    u
    ()
    the talk

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  52. View Slide

  53. happy

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  54. satisfied

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  55. nothing more
    needed

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  56. working
    for
    free

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  57. View Slide

  58. View Slide

  59. selfish
    altruism

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  60. targeted
    injections of free
    labour to enhance
    local
    sustainability

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  61. working
    for
    free

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  62. View Slide

  63. • Find some “visioning” money to get hired
    as a consultant.
    • Negotiate contracts for services.
    • Hold meetings with potential stakeholders
    and users.
    • Prepare a report of findings, with
    suggestions for next steps.
    • Find additional funding to move to the
    practical planning stage.
    • Hold meetings with involved parties,
    negotiate responsibilities, reporting
    structure.
    • Develop action plan.
    • Proceed with project.

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  64. called a meeting
    [ University]
    o
    I
    -
    [ ]
    ---
    ---
    ---
    -
    o
    I
    -
    []
    ___
    = \
    -

    o
    I-
    [ ]
    -

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  65. another meeting
    [ University]
    o
    I
    -
    [ ]
    ---
    ---
    ---
    -
    o
    I
    -
    []
    ___
    = \
    -

    o
    I-
    [ ]
    -

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  66. my work here is done
    [ University]
    o
    I
    -
    [ ]
    ---
    ---
    ---
    -
    o
    I
    -
    []
    ___
    = \
    -

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  67. happy

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  68. satisfied

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  69. nothing more
    needed

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  70. cross-domain
    scripting

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  71. leveraging contacts
    and personal
    curiousity to build
    business-academic
    partnerships

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  72. working
    for
    free

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  73. how to make it
    work

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  74. trust
    each
    other

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  75. or

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  76. ignore
    each
    other

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  77. not
    “almost free”

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  78. not
    “a good deal”

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  79. be clear about
    the basics

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  80. passion is good

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  81. small is good

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  82. local is good

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  83. be prepared for
    suspicion

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  84. be prepared for
    rejection

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  85. working
    for
    free

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  86. why I
    love it...

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  87. feeds my
    curiousity

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  88. try out
    new ideas

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  89. access to cool
    people

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  90. access to
    “backstage”

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  91. creative
    control

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  92. influence my
    community

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  93. and

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  94. it’s fun

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  95. working
    for
    free

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  96. thoughts?

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