But even if we were to accept the age of the terrific deal as a positive advance in the human condition, Reich continues, we ought to be aware of the price we pay for its bounty. The relentless drive to make things cheaper and more available looks great when we're buyers, but causes extreme distress when we're producers. No matter how original your idea, no matter how many hours you devote to realizing it and no matter how unquenchable your ambition, the moment you succeed in offering a new search engine or a clever Web site, someone will be right behind you working on something better. Under conditions of hypercompetition, life is not so good after all. The new-economy entrepreneur knows no distinction between work and social life.
Vacations are opportunities for someone else to get ahead.
The emerging economy doesn't offer many gradations in between.'' The new economy, furthermore, comes equipped with its own value system, the opposite of the organization man's conformity. To succeed in this new world, you have to sell yourself. You go to a brand-name college, not to imbibe the wisdom of its professors, but to make impressions and connections. You pick a niche that can bring attention to yourself and then develop your personal public relations efforts to let the world know who you are. You don't worry about loyalty to others because, free agents all, they are not worried about loyalty to you.