While the government debates over how to solve the medical and economic implications of what’s currently happening to our country, we at VidAngel instituted a company-wide work from home program last week, and Monday morning we invited our customers to help.
In exchange for an agreement to practice social distancing (and give bigger hugs when this is all over), we are providing access to our entire offering for free, without a credit card. It was the least we could do to help families out.
It makes me uncomfortable to share these numbers, and I don’t want it to come across as bragging or taking advantage of this situation, but I am sharing these hoping other entrepreneurs are inspired to speed to a solution faster. Here’s the initial two day numbers:
- – Tens of thousands have agreed to practice social distancing
- – We have increased our normal daily growth rate by 50x
- – Harmon Brothers ad agency announced yesterday that they’re offering a few hundred dollar course on script writing for free, if people agree to socially distance themselves.
- – Tuesday Forbes started the #GenerosityChallenge and listed three other companies joining the fight.
Obviously, we’re just a few companies. Our impact today is small, but the percentage response rate is HUGE. And those who are doing this realize now that this is a mutually beneficial proposition. We’re helping people out and they’re helping us grow. That’s the way American entrepreneurship should work.
People are anxious. People are scared. The economy is tanking before our eyes.
Social distancing is a scary prospect when people are worried about their jobs. Aside from health, fear in general is high across the country. People are worried about family members, income, and how to cope with kids being at home instead of in school. We have an opportunity to quell public concerns and replace fear with hope.
If enough of us collaborate together, at a faster rate than any governmental consensus can be reached, we can stave off the spread of disease, help calm the anxiety of those in need, and hopefully, prevent the debacle of our economic system.
With Forbes and the #GenerosityChallenge, we invite other companies to figure out how to help those stuck in their homes and beat COVID-19 the American way, through economic ingenuity. Linda.com, MasterClass, big streaming companies, and others, who will help conquer this? The mutual benefit is real, please help us scale this idea to as many web businesses as possible.
