Trading vs. Giving

When you trade (referrals, work product, etc.) with someone the most you can ever hope for is to break even, because both parties are calculating value and negotiating equality of the exchange.

When you give without keeping score, however, the payback is almost always more than what you put in, because value is in the eye of the receiver. (I may introduce you to someone who from your perspective will change your life. Whereas from my perspective it was a completely casual introduction.)

Trading is great, but it's giving without keeping score that fuels exponential growth.