The realm of the "information industry," knowledge commerce, and consulting—which processes and sells invisible information and data—is attractive, but at the same time, it is a brutally fog-laden market. Because there is no physical substance, the knowledge gap between the seller and the buyer is maximized, and the standard of value is hopelessly opaque.
Under these circumstances, prospective entrepreneurs trying to jump into this market can easily fall into fundamental confusion. They get confused about whether what they are trying to do is "art," which proposes an unfamiliar vision to the world, or "business," which solves immediate problems. If they draw the wrong line at this boundary, their enterprise might end up as an empty scam or a dogmatic illusion, rather than a marketable innovation.
To ensure that those dreaming of starting a business in this massive, bizarre grey zone of the information industry never lose their way, there are three boundaries they must firmly grasp.
The First Border: Open the Door with Art, Move with Business Once Inside
Because the substance of the product is invisible in the information industry, a high level of "artistic narrative (storytelling)" is essential at the sales stage. The process of marketing—designing the public’s belief as to why my information is valuable and mesmerizing them with a captivating vision—is unequivocally the domain of art.
However, the moment the client is persuaded by that vision and parts with their money, the entrepreneur must completely switch into the cold "reality of business." The product delivered after receiving payment (information, reports, guides, etc.) must be thoroughly reproducible, objective, and delivered with razor-sharp precision.
If you continue to spout only ambiguous language and subjective interpretations even after payment, failing to provide the essential core, that is not business; it is merely "bad art" that cheats the audience, or an outright scam. Captivate them with a fantastic story when selling, but deliver the promised data with surgical precision when giving. This is the first principle of the information industry.
The Second Border: Separating ‘Objectivity of Data’ from ‘Subjectivity of Interpretation’
Every sophisticated information business is the act of selling a dish where the seasoning of "insight" is placed on top of the raw ingredient of "fact." At this time, the realm of the raw ingredient and the realm of processing must be clearly separated to keep the product’s credibility from shattering.
The data and collected information serving as the raw ingredients must be flawlessly objective. You must be able to confidently provide a businesslike answer to the question, "Is this figure I investigated a verifiable fact?"
And only upon that solid foundation of facts should you layer your own "unique interpretation and insight" that differentiates you from others. It is precisely in this realm of processing where the entrepreneur’s unique individuality and sense—their artistry—are unleashed. The point where your service differentiates itself among the cliché information of the market lies in this "artistic processing," but it can only breathe when built upon the business backbone of absolute objectivity.
The Third Border: The Ultimate Destination of the Wallet — Does ‘ROI’ Exist?
The economic criterion where a line can be drawn most clearly ultimately lies in the client’s destination. It is the question: "Did the client gain a practical, tangible benefit after purchasing my information?"
If the client saved costs, made more money, or drastically reduced their trial-and-error time through the consulting or report you provided, that is an explicit and perfect business. The exchange of value has properly taken place.
On the other hand, if the client who consumed your information gained mere "intellectual pleasure" or "psychological comfort" rather than a practical profit, that is closer to a cultural and artistic content supply business rather than an information business. If you promised business success but provided only intellectual entertainment, that business has arrived at the wrong destination.
Will You Be an Innovator, or a Con Artist?
Starting an information business might be the act of performing the most thrilling art in a capitalist society. After all, it is the act of infusing formless thoughts and information with immense value to exchange them for capital.
This is precisely why you must draw an even stricter line for yourself. First examine how solid and useful the core of the information service you want to create is from a business standpoint. Only when that essence is robust as a business will your mesmerizing storytelling (art)—designed to pierce through an opaque market—be completed not as a scam that deceives the market, but as a monumental "business innovation" that changes the world.
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