You may have heard people refer to their advantage as “the edge.” I’ve realized just how good this metaphor is. An edge multiplies force by concentrating it on a carefully selected area. That’s exactly what expertise does to a project, and it literally changes everything.
The force multiplier means the overall effort is sharply reduced, making previously impossible tasks suddenly achievable.
For our ancestors, applying edges meant digging, felling trees, or cutting meat with orders of magnitude less energy. It allowed them to sew clothes, catch fish, build shelter, hunt safely, and even perform surgery. This freed time for specialization, birthing human society.
If you offer your experience—your edge in [x]—then reducing the overall effort needed is a very large part of the value you provide.
Grinding is hard. Grating (grinding over an edge) is much easier and faster at the same time. But if you represent the edge, why allow effort to be the only relevant measure of your value?
Let others provide the effort, because you provide the edge that took years, decades to hone.
If you ever felt bad about invoicing significant money for little time, remember your role is to be the edge. You showing up means the overall group effort needed to achieve the goal is halved. That’s worth something on its own. So, lean back, relax, and send that invoice. It’s a good deal for everyone.