There's a sort of inside joke in the online business space of coaches, creators, and service providers. Or maybe, at this point, it's an "outside joke?"

Q: What's the surest way to make more money as a creator or small business owner?

A: Teach other people how to make money as a creator or small business owner.

Hilarious, right? Anyhow, this isn't some weird quirk of extremely online people. It's something huge companies do, too. Douglas Rushkoff calls it "going meta." You can see it in the stock market, in automakers, and—yes—at Meta. In this quick Dispatch, I take a look at how "going meta" changes work, both for self-employed and traditionally employed folks. And, I consider how we might do things differently.

Footnotes:

• Survival of the Richest, by Douglas Rushkoff
• Team Human, by Douglas Rushkoff
• "What a Meta For?" by Douglas Rushkoff on Medium
• Kyla Scanlon's tweet
• "How Ford Makes Money" on Investopedia