The problem with ‘monetising’

Does your product monetise?

If so, you have a problem.

Real quick: “monetise” (or “monetize”) means “to earn revenue from an asset or business.”

What’s the problem with that?

Businesses that monetise create something, then wonder how on Earth it can earn revenue.

The problem is the “then”.

The problem is that how the huge amounts of work produced by one or more people can, in retrospect, do what businesses are supposed to do.

So what’s the alternative to monetising?

“Making money.” First and foremost, producing a product or service that people want to buy. Building a product that the market voted for with dollars.

When you “make money”, you create things people want and talk about. You help people.

When you “monetise”, you create things people might not want to pay for. So you either harass people into buying, or raise money to put off the problem a while longer.

Which sounds like the path to building a better product or service?