Who makes more money? The Taxi or the Toll Road?

Who do you think makes more money: the person who owns the taxi or the one who owns the toll road?

This question isn’t about taxis and toll roads in the literal sense. It’s about platforms. It’s about success.

The individual who owns the platform, in many instances, enjoys passive income, a broader scope of influence, and a more robust revenue stream.?

In contrast, the user of the platform, though they may have bursts of prosperity, is often subject to the platform's changing policies, market volatility, and the fickle nature of trends.

Take YouTube as an example. A content creator might earn a significant amount from their videos, but how much do you think YouTube as a platform benefits from every video? Every ad? EVERY click? For every rand a YouTuber makes, YouTube (the platform) also cashes in.

According to?financebuzz.com, YouTube takes about 45% of the ad revenue generated by a channel. The other 55% goes to the creator.

In 2021, the highest-earning YouTube star was MrBeast, who earned $54 million. Who do you think cashed in more? Yes, YouTube itself.

When I ask you who is the most famous TikTokker in China, who comes to mind? We probably all have different answers. One thing we know for sure though is CHINA OWNS TIKTOK. So does it actually matter?? China makes the money!

Here’s another more literal example: based on a 2021 BusinessTech article, it was reported that taxis in South Africa generate an annual revenue of approximately R450,000.

If we assume that the taxi operates every day throughout the year, this translates to an average monthly income of around R37,500.

On the other hand, the toll route connecting Johannesburg and Durban made as much as R204 million in a single month during 2019. Although figures for toll gates can vary, this is still a staggering difference when compared to the monthly income of a taxi driver.

According to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula the N3 toll route that spans between Johannesburg and Durban managed to accumulate a combined revenue of R2.3 BILLION during the audited financial year of 2019/20.

BILLION!?Do you see the contrast?

Let’s paint a bigger picture here and take BRICS as an example. Brazil and South Africa are the only countries not incentivising platform creation. Rich in potential -but, they're the taxis, not the road owners.

India, on the other hand, just became the fourth country EVER to successfully land on the moon, paving the way for tech platforms that will likely define the next era of digital business, not to mention space exploration.

The successful landing on the 23rd of August marked a historic achievement for India's space program. This mission contributes to advancing India's indigenous space technology and understanding the Moon's geological and resource potential.

The Chandrayaan-3 Rover is expected to conduct experiments over 14 days, searching for signs of frozen water that could help future astronaut missions as a potential source of drinking water or to make rocket fuel.

China's tech giants & India's moon missions are like owning highways in this sense. Just imagine the potential!

BRICS talks a lot. New currencies, global shifts. But are they building roads or just driving taxis?

In an age where owning the "toll road" could mean continuous, exponential wealth, every nation, especially those in emerging economies, should ask themselves: Are we building taxis or are we building toll roads?

Every day is a hustle. But remember, while you're grinding, the toll gate owner earns even when they're snoozing. Owning the platform is passive power. It's the key to wealth, even when you're not working.

We need a shift. From being just participants to becoming creators of our own platforms.

Take a moment and actually think on this… Entrepreneurs, Startups, Business visionaries, in your quest for success, do you want to be the one driving the taxi or the one cashing in every time a car passes?

Sayonara