An INVISIBLE HAND Manifesto (of sorts)

Everyone loves to credit Adam Smith as the godfather of capitalism. He is, but not in the way you might think. Smith’s Wealth of Nations, as my friend Doug Rushkoff writes in his new book, Life Inc., was actually an attack on crown-chartered behemoths like the East India Trading Company – the harbingers of today’s Halliburtons. His “invisible hand” of self-interest was not the unfettered greed of today’s Wall Street “fat cats” sucking money out of the productive economy and into their yachts. As Rushkoff writes, Smith dreamed of “an economy dominated by local, independently run farms and businesses.” Smith was “against the unfair practices of early transnational corporations, which were operating on a level completely removed from the real affairs of people and the proper stewardship of resources.” Sounds familiar, eh?

Capitalism can kill. But it can also breed incredible innovation and creativity. Web 2.0 technologies are leveling the playing field more and more every day between the mega-corporations who once seemed to have a stranglehold on everything we read, watch and hear and the rest of us. There has never been a more exciting time to be in the business of creating media.

Here at INVISIBLE HAND, we believe that to do good, you need to tell your story. You can’t rely on the sanctity of your mission or the cuteness of baby seals. Most of you already know this. But unfortunately when resources are scare it can be difficult to find a media firm that can live up to your noble purpose. That’s why we created INVISIBLE HAND. We’re lean. We’re hungry. And we’re here to help progressives like yourselves compete (yes, we use that word around here) in the increasingly free market of ideas. Smith would be proud.