Invisible Pyramids

Okay. Time for a long post, which is part rant-ish, but primarily thought evoking, or so I hope.

Three days ago my friend invited me to a business meeting. And so I obliged, keeping an open mind and still having my own set of reservations. I did ask my friend what the agenda will be about, and he just dismissed my doubts by saying it is eye opening and will introduce me to a wide range of professional individuals for networking. That and I just wanted to see the group of people my dear friend has been hanging out with since he started helping run his family business.

I arrived, and the atmosphere felt uncertain. I watched a boring and very outdated video introduction, and then listened to an old man speak horribly for the next 30 minutes or so about business concepts, mostly focused on getting people interested in passive incomes. Then it hit, it was Amway.

I do have my own preconceptions about multi-level marketing businesses, and no matter how you try to hide it up, it is (at least to me and some other people) obviously a pyramidal system. Heck, it is even defined as such on the first line in its Wikipedia page. It wasn't even my first encounter with such people as I was approached before in the mall at a bookshop while I was perusing psychology books. I don't deny that the system doesn't work, I just have a large issue with its transparency, its concept, and its entire branding leverage.

I noticed immediately that when they ask the group to bring more friends to future meetings, they constantly warn not to reveal the brand, as others have misconceptions about such a wonderful system. I believe that this is bollocks, as you do not trust your own brand identity to share the idea and/or not have enough confidence to defend yourself with the truth and facts about the brand you have already sunk your commitment into. Secondly, if that horrible presentation was supposed to get rid of my preconceptions, I'm sorry but I believe there are nervous kindergarten students who can be more convincing that you, despite your passive income of probably more than 5K.

Next, they keep insisting that coming to a RM210 regional workshop will answer all my questions. Why can't you just answer my questions now? Are people high up on the upline having that much privy to business information and structural secrets? Why is there even a seniority complex in the system, creating an obvious tiered relationship between each other. The atmosphere does not lie, everyone there wants to be higher up then the rest as fast as possible.

Like I said initially, I don't think MLMs are particularly bad. They are an interesting application of gamification in business and albeit being hierarchical, it has a strange resemblance to a Utopian system (resemblance on the surface though, nothing beats an ideal Utopia). There is plenty of potential for this system to be used in education and all, but I guess a hierarchy will always involve politics, and flatness seems to be the new future of the world.

Most importantly, I am very disappointed that my friend does not trust me as a close enough friend to tell me the truth upfront. I am more worried for him than am I angry. I really should talk with him soon enough.

Have a stupendous weekend peeps.