A friend of mine, Sara Lingafelter (@theclimbergirl) (check out her rock climbing blog for great insights into what it’s like to be addicted to climbing), recently pointed me toward a loose, conversational podcast called ConfabShow.
Out of curiosity, I listened to the show that she participated in, Confab #10.
Coincidentally, one of the hosts (once I get the person’s name, I’ll update this post) summed up the fundamental idea of outsourcing so elegantly, I relistened and typed it out so I could have it on hand.
If you look at almost any industry, you have low-end, entry-level type jobs. You have middle-tier jobs. You have high-end jobs.
The key to globalization is to recognize that if your job is one that can be reduced to something that can be described on a flow-chart, then it can be outsourced, and it will find the lowest cost of capital.
If your job is something that can not be done in that direction, or not be done in that way, then you have a form of comparative advantage, or competitive advantage.
…
I’m talking about the challenge and the nature of work.
That pretty much sums it up.