What It's About
Can professionals really swap skills hour-for-hour without cxhaos—or is cash the only glue?
Notes from Chris
Episode 3237
Barter isn’t new; colonial farmers traded eggs for blacksmith work. What is new are digital ledgers that let dozens—or hundreds—of people swap skills without a single dollar. Time-banks pop up in hobby circles all the time, but most collapse under fuzzy rules: one person trades gourmet catering for “two hours” of dog walking and feels short-changed. Our guest wants to avoid that chaos and create a professional network where an hour of legal counsel equals an hour of coding—simple, transparent, and mutually beneficial. Let’s break down the must-have rules, software tools, and outreach steps to give her co-op a fighting chance."I’m a web developer who barters projects with a photographer friend—she shoots my family photos, I fix her website. It works so well that I’m thinking bigger: a ‘skill-swap cooperative’ where local professionals trade hours through a time-bank instead of cash. A lawyer could earn credits drafting contracts, then spend those credits on bookkeeping or marketing help. But I’m stuck on logistics and trust: how do we track hours fairly, handle disputes, and keep the cooperative from turning into free-for-all chaos? Plus, would people join if money never changes hands?"Listen to today's episode to learn more...
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