那天在Red Room慶祝三年的生日聚會中，碰到一位年輕人跟我說，「朱先生，我是看您文章長大的，一直想來紅房（Red Room）體驗，但卻一直沒有機會。今天我決定來了，太喜歡了！太棒了！下次一定再來的！」嚇了我一跳，真的有一群人從高中、大學到現在工作，是看著《PPAPER Business》雜誌長大的。（Ive及Pao一定非常驕傲。）
我一直想跟《PPAPER Business》的讀者分享我個人在Red Room實驗了三年的經營經驗，當然也正好可以在Red Room三歲生日時，再一次檢視創立Red Room的初衷及發想Red Room的未來。
當初跟Ayesha一起創立Red Room時就決定「英文」是Red Room的主要語言。經過三年來不斷地演化，Red Room已不再僅限於讀詩、音樂、舞蹈、劇場等創作藝術，而已銳變成一個以創意、分享為軸心的世界部落與藝術創作的平台。
我曾跟一些人分享Red Room是未來非常重要的一種微利、慢成長的商業模式：
Red Room是一種獨特的生活方式
我非常清楚，不可能讓每個人都喜歡Red Room，但如果您不怕英文，喜歡表演藝術及實驗性的新觀念，有強烈的熱情，想突破自己的舒適圈，認識新朋友，您一定會愛上Red Room！Red Room是一個實體的「社群網站」，在未來，鐘擺效應將從現在手機虛擬社群的這一端，搖擺到另一端，也就是實體的社群；也因此，將會創造出許多實體社群的新商機。
Red Room僅是一個Micro Event
希望能在台北市創造一個平台、空間（space），使local與global產生互動及對話，並給台北市多一個展現自己的機會，成為local及global更宜居的城市。（Make Taipei a better place to live for local and global.）從2012年開始，我積極主動邀請更多朋友來參加體驗Red Room，讓Red Room不再只是外國朋友聚會的地方，而是真正能代表台北市國際多元化的創意劇場。不只一次，有外國朋友在Red Room結束後，握著我的手說：「朱先生，我真的完全沒有期待台北市能有這樣一個英文友善的創意劇場；在這裡大家都是主人，觀眾也是表演者，表演者更是觀眾；沒有觀眾及表演者的區別。」我也開始跟許多人說：「Red Room是一個鼓勵creative、loving and healing的空間和平台」。
Red Room是Sharing Economy註1 的另一種可能
如果我現在要創業，我一定會考慮Lisa Gansky提出的「Mesh Business」註2。雖然，Red Room不是完全符合Mesh Business中的幾個條件，但「sharing」及「community」卻是Red Room最重要的精神之一。肯夢Aveda 空間閒置時，給Red Room再使用，減少資產的浪費；讓使用者（user）及觀眾（audience）來創作分享內容，並由臨時性義工（ad hoc volunteer team註3）的變形蟲團隊編組，讓業餘的人將自己的嗜好及興趣，成為專業的分享及演出。
Red Room的成長陣痛（growing pain）
就像任何成長的企業一樣，都一定經歷過成長的陣痛（growing pain）、跨越鴻溝（Crossing the Chasm）、創新的兩難（Innovator Dilemma）與開創第二個成長的S-curve（Second S-curve）。Red Room的成長（目前每個月的第三個禮拜六都大約有100人參加），一定會讓早期參與者感覺失去剛開始時的親密感及專屬獨特感，而對Red Room有所失望。但身為一個「生意人」（從事生生不息、有生命意義的事），我知道既使會讓一些人失望，但Red Room的未來就在於不斷地創新。我持續推動Red Room去嘗試新的實驗，與更多新的Red Roomer（紅房人）建立更多新的分享及共有關係。我真的仍然珍惜、感恩Red Room的早期參與支持者，更相信他們如果有機會參與現在的Red Room，一定會非常高興看到有更多的年輕朋友、更多的local朋友參與了當初大家一起推動的「紅房運動」，並已看到不錯的成績。創始義工，Roma、Manav、Charles、Edward、Ruth、Sarah、Holly＆Tim及許多的新義工，仍然不斷勇敢的嘗試、尋找Red Room的另一種可能。
Red Room是一個社會運動（Social Movement）及生態系統（Eco-System）
我一直有個夢想，讓紅房的成功案例能鼓勵更多人，開始他們自己的紅房運動，並能創造自己的工作，做自己生意的最好客戶。很高興看到Lesley、Brendon的「Dream Gallery」註4及阿峰的「交點」註5已開始上軌道。我真心希望有更多人在全台灣各地，建立自己的紅房。我們都是在一個共生共存的紅房生態系統（Eco-system），我們可以互相分享劇場資源，讓每個參與者找到自我實現的可能。真的很難想像，台北市能提供一個英語友善的環境及空間，讓國際友人與台北人用「觀眾就是表演者，表演者也是觀眾」的概念，建立互相分享、共有共治的劇場模式及具革命性的國際實驗劇場，讓台北能再度回到世界的城市地圖裡。台北市一直缺少劇場，然而因為居住環境的限制，也很難使用住宅空間來發展劇場；基於「Sharing Economy」及「Mesh Business」的概念，希望可以讓更多閒置的公有老房子、學校教室、禮堂、私人辦公室或會議室可以再度被使用，發展成為城市中令人驚艷的劇場，孕育出更多元及豐富的創作藝術。
不管您是製造業或服務業，全球整個大環境及趨勢的快速連結，讓台灣不得不重新思考，我們在全球的經濟、人文體系中，到底有什麼是我們可以參予及分享的。微利、慢成長是我們必須接受的事實，只有在接受這事實後，我們才能重新找出我們的強項、耐心專注，不斷尋求卓越，不自滿於現狀；雖微利、慢成長，但因有絕對的競爭力、難以複製的獨特性及巨大的恢復力，保持台灣各企業的永續經營，仍是可為。
家庭作業 Assignment
- 如果您常讀我的專欄，並對文創產業有興趣，立志將英文學好，您這個月的家庭作業就是參與12/15/2012的Red Room。（詳情請上網www.redroom.com.tw）在那天聚會上，請主動介紹自己，讓我認識您。
- 請上Facebook搜尋「交點」及「Dream Gallery」，並用行動支持，去參與他們的沙龍聚會，讓自己有機會認識更多like minded的朋友。
- 請閱讀Lisa Gansky的《The Mesh》或上Ted網站了解，並來我的部落格分享您的心得。
註解
1. Sharing Economy：Lawrence Lessig於《Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy》（中譯：REMIX，將別人的作品重混成賺錢生意）一書中提出。（2008）
The sharing economy functions outside monetary exchange. We all belong to sharing economies – most obvious examples are our friendships and relationships. This economy is regulated not by a metric of price but by a set of social relations. Like the commercial economy, the sharing economy extends into the digital realm.
2. Mesh Business：Lisa Gansky於《The Mash: Why the Future of Business Is Sharing》（中譯：10年後，你將找不到實體商店）一書中提出。（2010）
In the last few years a fundamentally different model has taken root-one in which consumers have more choices, more tools, more information, and more peer-to-peer power. Pioneering entrepreneur Lisa Gansky calls it the Mesh and reveals why it will soon dominate the future of business.
3. Ad hoc 源自拉丁文，字面意思是「to this」，指不預先計劃、有需要時才做。兩字可合併一起「adhoc」。
4. Dream Gallery：「分享˙分饗」是在每個月的第一個星期日。活動過程中，參加的朋友?可以用任何形式，分享任何事情，包括夢想、生活、令人感動的小事情。
5. 交點：每個月第二個週六夜晚的定期聚會，參加的朋友們彼此分享夢想的藍圖、熱情的所在、工作的點滴。
Reference
*Gansky, Lisa., 2010. The Mesh：Why the Future of Business Is Sharing, 1st edition,New York,USA, the Penguin Group.
*Lessig, Lawrence., 2008. Remix：Marketing Art and Commerce Thrive in the HybridEconomy,New York,USA, the Penguin Press
摘錄自《PPAPER Business》No.47 Dec.2012
Dear Sophia:
Thank you for taking time to write to me and making my day.
Yes, Red Room 44 was one of the best we had so far. It was purely magic.
Yes, Red Room is definitely one of a kind. Many people walked to me and wanted to thank me for creating such a positive environment. I told them. If you like it so much, please continue to participate and let more people know it so we can grow this movement together.
Taiwan has been marginalized on every fronts. The most dangerous thing is our youth. They don’t know how to live a creative life with positive emotion and engagement, meaning and purpose.
English is the way we can self learning from our own efforts from the world’s best. We don’t need anyone to become a gatekeeper or filter or, worse, lost the real and subtle meaning out of the translation.
Please vote with what you buy. Only invite those friends you think they are ready.
Sophia, you are certainly a very special soul.
Together, we can change our little world. Hopefully, we can nudge the pendulum to swing to the right direction, just a little bit.
Action expresses priority.
Ping
Dear Ping,
Last night was wonderful! It was the first time I joined such an international sharing event, and I loved it 🙂
I love the open kitchen, the vegetable soup, the food people brought to share, and the variety alcohol, too. I also love the vibrant people there, and the poems, songs, stories shared last night. They are totally novel and passionate and beautiful for me! I thought I’ve experienced what your so-called ‘Life Style’. It’s so true that we all have to bring ourselves on the international stage, and cultivate our own life style.
Thanks again for inviting us to Red Room, so that I’ve chance to explore different ways of life, and broaden my life circle! I really enjoy last night! I’ll bring more of my friends to go with me next time, and even be a volunteer there 🙂
P.S. I really love the cute little Becca! Hope I can see her again 😛
Best regardes,
Sophia
Dear Ping,
I know about the Red Room event from your book in 2011, and I really loved the concept. But I’m sorry that I haven’t been there yet.
It’s always not easy to step out from our comfort zone, but recently I’m eager to broader mine by experiencing something totally new. Since you invited us (the students in the class of Pr. Lee) to the red room on June 15, I’ll invite one friend or two to go with me on that day. I’ll go there with no specific goal, but an open mind to embrace every possibility!
Thanks for your sharing and showing your AVEDA community with us last Mon.
Best regards,
Sophia
Dear Sophia:
Professor Lee has told me that you all are a special group of fine students. I am kind of agree with him. I know you all are special and privileged.
Yes, please bring your friends who want to broaden their life circle and engage with more international friends.
We only have one rule at Red Room: Listen with quiet inside and be a daymaker to every one there. It is this positive energy that we can co-create a community together.
Please visit http://www.redroom.com.tw and follow the rules.
Hope to see you and your friends on 6/15. ( We are going to have a special Red Room that day. )
It is never too late to find out who you really are.
Action expresses priority,
Ping
congratulations! i love the red room successful story.
one of these days i will be there to see in person.
maybe sooner than i think.
bravo.
Dear Freda:
Red Room, http://www.redroom.com.tw has her share of growing pains as I indicated.
We had 140 people attended Red Room in 12/15/2012. We also have too many talented people who wanted to share but we have to turn away due to the time constrained.
Red Room Radio Redux on Christmas Carol in a live radio format was a resounding success on 12/15/2012. I have to give my hat off to these volunteers to rehearsal on their own time and deliver such a great performance.
This is the power of volunteerism. When people are doing things they love, they are not asking for justice, fairness, entitlement or equality. Only when we reduce our passion to salaried work, we start judging and comparing. It is sad that we simply cannot make our work our passion with fun and meaningful.
Please schedule your visit to Taiwan in one of the Third Saturday of the Month. The next one is on 1/19/2013.
Stay tune,
Ping
Dear Ping,
Thanks for your sharing.
I remember one time in the break time at RR you were talking to one of your business friend, at that moment, I could feel that you are really a Dreamer. I think maybe a dreamer means how much passion he/she has, and how much he/she cares about others. It doesn’t matter how old a dreamer is at all !
Thank you again Ping. Here is the keypoint that encourage me: “微利、慢成長是我們必須接受的事實，只有在接受這事實後，我們才能重新找出我們的強項、耐心專注，不斷尋求卓越，不自滿於現狀；雖微利、慢成長，但因有絕對的競爭力、難以複製的獨特性及巨大的恢復力，保持台灣各企業的永續經營，仍是可為。”
I think this is also a way to reduce destruction to our mother earth.
Dear Kerrie:
Thank you for reminding me that it does not matter how old a dreamer is at all. 🙂
Please keep your dream alive by engaging with the like minded people. I would recommend you to attend Red Room routinely and also attend Cross Point ( every second Saturday of the Month), a community modeled Red Room, that celebrates sharing. ( Mandarin is the main language at Cross Point though. ) They are all dreamers who want to share their life stories and passion.
Yes, we made too many stuffs in the world already. Growth for business is a must in order to be independent, sustainable and competitive. However, we need quality growth and sustainable growth. Growth that is not for sake of growth is the essence of the slow growth.
To grow we must. To grow big fast is not.
We are still learning and exploring this way of building business that is harmonized with the earth.
Be the change,
Ping