On occasion, I slip and engage in online dialogue with pundits and consultants who just do not have the same experience, and I as them, but sometimes I take the bait. It is simple posts like this one that is actually HUGE yet ignored.
I was reminded of this when commenting on a post about Credit Karma. Yeah for them. They got their California insurance license and will thankfully help feed some headlines for a bit. Then, sometime in the future, they won’t. But I’ll of still wasted time with people who really are looking to be heard who haven’t actually done what they are writing about. Shame is on me, not them.
Like me slipping online, the usual pitfalls await new entrants in every segment of Insurtech. Why? Because the truth doesn’t make good headlines. Because the work and angles that take time to develop, aren’t known by very many of us. Because those that are getting headlines are purely in this for the money, which is ok. BUT, it’ll never be as powerful as those who are here for the money AND to make a positive impact on society.
To the “How” and the “who.” It is sort of like graffiti. I have often felt that the person putting graffiti somewhere is simply demonstrating a human need. They feel neglected. They want to be remembered and are looking for a reason. It isn’t a show of love and most of us are more annoyed that you made a mark to prove you were somewhere. But, you left your mark. On the other hand, I think the style of graffiti is amazing and when well placed in public spaces is a dramatic enhancement to that area. Why? Because there are context and purpose.
A closing note to self;
A complimentary comment is nice. A comment that brings value to others and shares your fact and experience-based knowledge is nice. But simply quoting PR pieces and providing opinions that are so far removed seem more like commenting for commenting sake. The world doesn’t need more posts because your content calendar says so. It needs them because it brings value and enhances the lives of others. Dialogue has and likely will always be healthy, this goes for on-line as well, as long as kept civil. But remember, it is our different experiences that make life interesting. Share what you know and before unleashing an emotion-fueled sentence, look and see who made the comment. It is very likely they are just putting some graffiti on the internet.