Time is money. Data is the new oil. It’s time to add another slogan to the business bumper sticker collection: Monetise alone time. For a country now the world’s most populous, one just has to look around to realise how being alone is a premium event. This is not about loneliness, for which there is a set of service industries, never mind a support system that each of us have. Being alone is not about being lonely, but about having the luxury to have time and space to oneself whether in one’s own home or in a mountain cabin or on a beach. This is ‘me time’ in its most singular form.
As most of you who have tasted success know, there is a correlation between being successful and having people around you, whether at work or home. But one must recognise the value, indeed the opulence, of having the space and time of being alone when one chooses to. If one looks at it clinically, those who can afford to be alone for stretches of time need this high-end amenity on a regular basis. This isn’t just about checking into a hotel, but more, including having one’s usual harem of gadgets off. A hospitality model can provide this alone time where the ‘Do not disturb’ sign is available on rent. This is a startup idea that needs alone time to develop.
