Too Proud To Beg
Why Bartering Beats A Bank Loan Every Single Time.
‘For barter to work, two individuals do not need to offer things of equal value. Trade is often unequal, but still benefits both sides.’
Matt Ridley
You’re nursing a flat white you can’t afford while your Stripe notifications stay silent. You call yourself a founder but you’re really a hobbyist with dreams and an ego.
I worked with a bloke who arrived in Australia with his family, a pair of shoes, and a shirt that had seen better days. He didn’t spend his time building a personal brand or worrying about his aesthetic. He begged his fortnightly pay in advance so his family could eat. He looked desperate because he was desperate. Today, he owns his home in a leafy Sydney suburb and sleeps like a baby while you lie awake wondering how to pay for LinkedIn Premium.
This is the lesson: The difference between a successful new business and a dying dream is the amount of shame the owner is willing to swallow.
During the early formative months, consider the ancient art of bartering.
Bartering is the oldest trick in the book because it works. It worked before the Lydian Empire invented money, and it will work when we create money’s replacement.
Maybe you think you’re above bartering. It spoils your flex and anyway, trading your valuable skill for a bit of plumbing or free office space is beneath your ‘professional’ standing.
Pride is a parasite. It eats your potential and hollows your bank account. Real entrepreneurs don’t wait for a line of credit; they chat to the person behind them in the coffee line and find out what they need.
If you have no cash, you have time. If you have time, you have a service. Bartering is a cheat code because it bypasses the tax man and the banking system entirely. Bartering your time or expertise is a skill that no one can take from you. It works for people who actually want to survive, but it takes guts to get over yourself,
Ask everyone for help until they either give you a roadmap or the finger. Shame is a luxury you can’t afford when the rent is due and your sales are zero.
If you can’t trade a bit of your expertise for a bag of groceries, then your expertise isn’t worth nearly as much as you tell yourself it is. Stop acting like a success and start doing what is necessary to become one.
