Being a Knowmad

After yet another break into my writing process, I’ve done a bit of refresh of the content on this blog, and have changed its punchline to Digital Knowmad.

I’ve been acquainted to this term by collaborating on some projects, with Knowmads Business School of Amsterdam. Out of curiosity I checked where the concept itself comes from, and have since been fascinated.

The term was originated by John Moravec, who has written an e-book called Knowmad Society, that you can download for free. I’ll publish a review of the book soon.

The basic idea is that today’s world belongs to people that are invariably defined as nerds, geeks, dreamers… and that he has defined as “Knowmads” by contracting the words “knowledge” and “nomads”. The definition in itself seems simple, but there are many aspects and connotations to be found.

A knowmad is what I term a nomadic knowledge worker –that is, a creative, imaginative, and innovative person who can work with almost anybody, anytime, and anywhere. Industrial society is giving way to knowledge and innovation work. Whereas industrialization required people to settle in one place to perform a very specific role or function, the jobs associated with knowledge and information workers have become much less specific in regard to task and place. Moreover, technologies allow for these new paradigm workers to work either at a specific place, virtually, or any blended combination. Knowmads can instantly reconfigure and recontextualize their work environments, and greater mobility is creating new opportunities.

John Moravec, Knowmads in Society 3.0

I’ve been fascinated especially by the characteristics of these “workers”. All characteristics that I’ve learned to find also in myself.

One of the most interesting aspects is the first, the idea that this definition is not about “being restricted by age”. Often we tend to identify common traits of individuals only because these are linked to a specific generation or age group. But the reality is that I’ve always been bad at assimilating myself into one or the other generation.

Another element that has appealed to me is the following: “Knowmads differentiate their jobs from work. Jobs are positions, gigs, or other forms of employment. Work is longer term in scope, and relates to the creation of meaningful outcomes. “. This distinction has always been clear in my mind from the beginning of my career.

So here I am, again, with a true “coming out” in defining myself by my eclectic “nomadic” (not always in the physical sense, but for sure in terms of interests and mental mobility) characters. In this phase of my life, Digital is what I’m exploring the most. Thus the Digital Knowmad new version of me you see here.