Summary of Ed Kless - A Revelation for the Transformation Economy

Summary of Key Financial Strategies, Market Analyses, and Business Trends

Commodities → Goods → Services → Experiences → Transformations
- Commodities are basic, fungible resources (e.g., eggs, wheat).
- Goods combine commodities into tangible products (e.g., cake).
- Services add intangible value to goods (e.g., personalized cake inscription).
- Experiences stage services to create memorable events (e.g., birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese with cake).
- Transformations guide customers through profound, lasting change (e.g., life changes like becoming a parent or organizational shifts like moving to cloud software).
Each stage subsumes the previous one, increasing pricing power and delivering higher customer value.

2. The Transformation Economy (Emerging Business Trend):

Transformation is the next economic stage beyond experiences, focusing on guiding customers through meaningful change related to:
- Health (well-being)
- Wealth (prosperity)
- Wisdom (understanding)
- Purpose (meaning)
Transformations incorporate goods, services, and experiences but focus on outcomes and long-term impact rather than discrete deliverables.
This economy requires a shift in mindset from billing for time or services to charging for outcomes and transformations.

3. Pricing Models and Business Strategy for Transformation:

Traditional hourly or project-based pricing is inadequate for transformation work.
Subscription Models are seen as the most promising approach to pricing transformations, allowing ongoing guidance from A to B (current state to desired state).
Value-based or performance-based pricing (e.g., commission on increased income or success) aligns incentives between provider and client.
Fixed pricing can accelerate learning and improve business outcomes compared to hourly billing if done correctly.
Transformation work is often bespoke and not easily scalable in a traditional sense—quality and personalized guidance are critical.
Certification and intellectual property models are less favored due to legal and compliance complexities and potentially undermining genuine care.

4. Insights on Time, Money, and Value:

Customers pay not for the professional’s time but for the time saved or value created for them.
Experiences are about “time well spent” with the provider, while transformations require customers to invest their own time post-engagement to realize change.
Money is equated to time, and wealth is equated to knowledge; growth is continuous learning.
Profit and success come from “surprise” or unexpected positive outcomes driven by experimentation and innovation.

5. Addressing Burnout and Moral Injury in Professions:

Burnout is often misdiagnosed; the real issue is “moral injury” caused by outdated business models forcing professionals to act against their sense of duty and care.
Professionals feel constrained by systems that prioritize billable hours or outdated metrics over genuine client outcomes.
This systemic issue undermines professional fulfillment and client trust.

6. Broader Societal and Economic Context:

Transformation Economy concepts may appear as a “luxury” primarily accessible in wealthier or more developed economies but have universal relevance.
Wealth is fundamentally the application of knowledge, not just accumulation of resources.
Social capital (relationships and networks) is a critical form of wealth, especially in times of crisis.
AI and technological advances could lead to infinite wealth and knowledge, but human purpose and meaning will remain central.
The future economy will likely emphasize spiritual (non-material) values such as purpose and meaning, beyond just financial wealth.

7. Threshold – The New Venture by Ed Kless and Ron:

Threshold is a business aimed at helping professionals, creators, and entrepreneurs transition into the Transformation Economy.
The company focuses on guiding transformations rather than just delivering services or experiences.
Threshold will offer both scalable offerings (e.g., subscription content and community) and bespoke, high-touch transformation guidance.
They are preparing a public “Revelation” document to articulate their vision and framework for the Transformation Economy.

Step 1: Initiate a conversation with the client to understand current state (A), desired state (B), and potential.
Step 2: Collaborate on research, surveys, and data collection to diagnose needs and opportunities.
Step 3: Define the transformation journey focusing on outcomes rather than scope or deliverables.
Step 4: Agree on a pricing model that aligns incentives (subscription, commission, value-based).
Step 5: Guide the client through the transformation, providing ongoing support and adapting as needed.
Step 6: Measure success in terms of transformation outcomes (health, wealth, wisdom, purpose).
Step 7: Build social capital and trust as a core asset in the relationship.