Last time, we talked about how the information explosion would result in Internet ecosystems growing in both quantity and complexity -- thus creating demand for individuals who were specialists in leveraging certain ecosystems.

The rise in the demand of specialists who are knowledgeable and well-connected within a given ecosystem will bring about a corresponding increase in the demand for orchestrators -- individuals who can orchestrate the activities of various specialists.

For those involved in web production, the question then becomes: how can you orchestrate the most specialized web professionals -- i.e. organic search marketers, paid search marketers, social media marketers, video marketers, podcast creators, designers, bloggers, and the many more specialties that will emerge -- into a cohesive network of professionals that can create the best possible web sites?

In the corporate era, we were taught to simply hire the specialty and integrate it into the corporation. But in the networked era, it's about pushing specialization outside, and creating network value by rebundling them.


Example: think of how search engines like Google and Yahoo are working to push specialization outside of their organization by allowing and incentivizing web publishers to create their own specialty search engines (i.e. custom search engines). They push specialization out, and focus on orchestration -- in other words, on rebundling the specialized search engines their users have created.

Or better yet, think of how the CIA orchestrated specialized groups assigned with specific tasks to kill John F. Kennedy.

The next step, though, is in creating a platform that democratizes rebundling. In other words, a platform that allows anyone to rebundle specialized assets -- not just intelligence agencies and search engines.

In the next article, we'll explore the concept of keystones -- profit-seeking companies that can serve as platforms for uniting and rebundling specialized labor, and thus can serve as the heroes who use the power of the virtual network to liberate us from the prison of the top-down corporation.

Other Articles in this Mini-Series

The Emergence of the Virtual Corporation
What the Information Explosions Means for Your Business
The Keystone to the Virtual Corporation