This chapter discusses the shifting dynamics of work and wages, focusing on the alignment of individual skills and passions with earnings. It explores the impact of competition on business innovation and pricing strategies, emphasizing the need for businesses to be sensitive to market signals. The chapter also discusses the future of work, including the rise of project-based and personalized work models.
What's it like to hang out with Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carell for two months? Adam Davidson, who writes for the New York Times Sunday Magazine, was the technical advisor to the upcoming movie, The Big Short. Besides rubbing shoulders with celebrities, he noticed what he calls the Hollywood model where highly talented workers come together temporarily in project-based employment. Davidson discusses the costs and benefits of this approach and its potential emergence as a more common phenomenon throughout the economy.