“Every era is marked by the wealth of those who figure out what the new scarcity is.” — Kevin Kelly

The new scarcity for the world at large is creativity and innovation. The new scarcity for those creating and innovating, is attention. I use those two words synonymously, since innovating involves the act of creating.

While the “industrial world” valued maximizing known processes, the “networked world” values creating better processes. That’s actually the correct way to think about technology permeating our lives. “Technology” is, at its core, just a better way of doing things.

“What is technology? It’s technique. It’s the way we all do things. And when you discover a new way to do things, its value is multiplied by all the people who use it. It is the proverbial fishing rod, rather than the fish.” — Paul Graham

There is a saying that a company will “build for what the CEO measures.” Henry Miller put it more eloquently when he said, “I have to be careful of what I dream, since for me, between dream and reality there is only the thinnest veil.” Whether referring to professional or personal aspirations, the point remains. You usually get what you aim for, so sharpen your sights carefully.

Most creators are measuring the wrong things, and as a result, building for the wrong future. The number one mistake is measuring only “top line awareness.” Knowing how many people visited your site or streamed your song is not a great indicator of whether you’re going to thrive in this new world.

The proper thing for a creator to measure, and to build for, is the lifetime value of their community. But it’s honestly not that simple. Top line awareness is still a critical piece of the equation.

And if you’ve been paying attention, these rules don’t only apply to aspiring creatives, it’s now how you market anything. Enter the Paradox of Awareness.