I am building LiveAPI, a super-convenient, API-powered tool for generating API documentation. It lets you connect all your backend code repositories to generate API documentation in bulk for all your services. Never again will you need to worry about which exact repository contains the endpoint you need—LiveAPI can find it for you.
For me, building LiveAPI is both an involved and challenging journey. We are trying to develop advanced technologies from India, where I constantly strive to focus on the problem at hand while laying strong foundations for an R&D culture in the organization. Easy to state, but hard to achieve.
When I read Adam Smith, I noticed his focus on enumerating conducive factors that are critical to the development of trade. He highlights two in particular that lead to greater specialization:
Smith argues that market size is critical to increasing the depth of specialization and that market size can be expanded through efficient means of transporting goods and information.
Why Larger Markets Lead to Deeper Divisions of Labor
The larger the aggregate size of a market, the greater the potential for deeper specializations and greater divisions of labor.
The reason is simple: consumption is a powerful incentive for people to dedicate themselves to a particular job, no matter how unpleasant it may be.
With the expertise gained through deep divisions of labor, surplus production becomes possible.
This surplus can then be used to fund additional consumption.
However, this extra consumption is only feasible in a large market. Without the allure of consumption, the division of labor becomes less appealing.
Some Jobs Are Sustained Only in Town and City Economies
In comparatively larger markets, usually found in towns and cities, one can observe consistent demand for certain kinds of work that smaller rural economies or remote areas cannot sustain:
- Porter
- Butcher
- Baker
- Brewer
- Smith
- Carpenter
In rural areas, an individual carpenter often handles a wide array of tasks, such as:
- Building furniture
- Carving wood
- Repairing wagons
- Making tools
- And more
Water Transportation Expands Markets the Most
For the bulk transportation of goods, water transportation is the most efficient method.
In terms of energy efficiency, water transportation is:
- 20–30 times more energy-efficient than trucking
- 5–10 times more energy-efficient than rail
In terms of cargo capacity, water transportation can handle:
- 50–100 times more cargo than trains
- 1,000 times more cargo than trucks
In terms of cost efficiency, water transportation is:
- 15–20 times more cost-efficient than trucking
- 2–3 times more cost-efficient than rail
While water transport may be slower, it is unmatched in terms of energy, cost, and cargo capacity for bulk transport.
The history of human development clearly shows that regions closest to waterways were the first to advance in art and industry, with inland areas following later.
Early human settlements that grew into agricultural civilizations were usually located near waterways, such as:
- Egypt - Near the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile River
- India - Near the Ganges River
- China - Near a network of rivers in eastern China
In contrast, regions like inland Africa, despite having large rivers, lack sufficiently interconnected waterways to support trade. As a result, these areas did not develop as rapidly. Similar examples can be found in Siberia and Tartary, where limited water transport opportunities have hindered development.
What Does It All Mean?
At its core, trade relies heavily on underlying conditions. It seems practically impossible to overcome severely limiting conditions in a region through sheer will or desire alone. A supportive environment is critical for the growth of trade. For instance, the availability of good water transport serves as a significant bottleneck in the movement of goods and, consequently, in the development of trade.
Another important factor is the individual’s desire for consumption. The psychological power of inducing people to consume more and participate in a sophisticated economy is key to encouraging specialization. A comparatively sophisticated economy fosters the drive to consume, which in turn motivates individuals to specialize by dedicating themselves to specific jobs.
From a practical policy perspective, governments should focus on expanding market size by improving means of connectivity.
DeepTech companies are best situated to emerge in super-large markets
— Shrijith Venktramana (@shrsv23) December 29, 2024
I read Adam Smith - and his recipe for higher specialization:
Increase connectivity ->
Increase market size/access ->
Increase consumption ->
Higher specializationhttps://t.co/zSCfePZWM9#buildinpublic
Top comments (1)
Connectivity is vital for a healthy economy.