MY MANIFESTO
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This is the 3rd draft January 2024; 2nd draft was April 20 2022; 1st draft was posted on the Fearless Ventures FB page April 2020
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: None of this is original. I have many to thank from whom I have learned, including nature.
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I stand for a long term vision for a new human operating system based in trust, connection and love, instead of our current system based on separateness and threat. This shift is built by working with each individual, starting with the founder(s), then executives, the the broader team.
At Fearless Ventures we invest in companies that we think have the potential to shape the future of the planet and/or humanity, then shift the consciousness with which they create and apply the thing they are doing - because the consciousness with which you create impacts what you create and how it gets applied. The philosophy above is embedded into the program delivered through Fearless.
Training starts with #4, and when teams are ready we teach and help implement #1, 2, 3. This leads to a new way to structure and operate entities and institutions of "business" and "capital” (#5).
1. REGENERATIVE DESIGN (of product, systems and strategy). Consists of three parts:
A. Nutrient mentality - In nature there is no waste. Every output is input (a nutrient) for some other part of the system. A toxin is simply a nutrient placed in the “wrong” location, where it disrupts the healthy operation of that part of the system; or in the “right” location in the “wrong” amount or at the “wrong” time, too much of a nutrient or too little at an inopportune time can cause the system to fail (cancer or malnutrition). We seek to continuously identify, monitor and balance all of our output/byproducts to ensure the nutrients are landing in the “right” place at the “right” time or adjust as quickly as possible to restore balance and healthy functioning of the systems around us.
B. Biomimicry - literally: imitation of the living, aims to take inspiration from natural selection solutions adopted by nature and translate the principles to human engineering. The biomimicry approach aims to favor “choices” tested by nature, which had millions of years to understand what works best and what doesn’t. Designs following biometrics will ultimately allow human productions to be more efficient, resilient and sustainable. Often applied to product design, I am applying this to systems design as well.
C. Holism - All the properties of a given system (physical, biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, linguistic, etc.) cannot be determined or explained by its component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines in an important way how the parts behave. Aristotle in the Metaphysics: "The whole is more than the sum of its parts". Reductionism is sometimes seen as the opposite of holism. Reductionism in science says that a complex system can be explained by reduction to its fundamental parts. For example, the processes of biology are reducible to chemistry and the laws of chemistry are explained by physics.
D. Symbiogenesis - Cooperation between species in order to increase their survival is a primary driver of evolution, not just competition (Darwinism). Mutation that leveraged or enhanced symbiosis was more likely to succeed than random mutation or competitive mutation. As a result, creation that favors symbiosis is a fundamental underlying principle in the evolution of and thriving of complex and modern systems. See the work of Lynn Margulis.
E. Reciprocity – Hard work and good luck alone are not sufficient for our success. We are supported by all of the systems around us that keep us healthy and functioning, like clean air, water, bees, plants, microbiome, animals, social systems, government, etc. We prioritize keeping the systems around us healthy along the way, as we do what we do, rather than fixing broken systems after we extract & accumulate.
2. INFINITE GAME
Infinite games are played with the goal to keep the game going and keep all of the players in the game; the only rule is to keep changing the rules to accomplish the goal. All of the other games are finite games played within an infinite game. Once an oindividual sees life as an infinite game, she/he can play the finite games with a long tetm persective.
3. WIN FOR ALL
A mindset that is omni-considerate & anti-rivalrous. If you don't believe win for all is possible, you will only create it by accident. If you believe it is possible, and you commit to finding it, you are more likely to create it.
4. DEVOTED TO ONE'S OWN HEALING & GROWTH
We help each individual cultivate their own devotion to growth. This is the Hero's Journey from the old story (separateness & threat) to the new story (connection & trust). An individual's ability to practice these principles and apply them with proficiency increases from doing your inner work to metabolize/integrate your trauma. We use methodologies like Conscious Leadership, Hoffman Institute, Groundbreakers, Avalon, Holotropic breath work, psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, somatic healing, EMDR, embodiment, meditation, and others. We combine peak experiences with a daily yogic practice of shifting from old story to new story. See more below in the prelude. When this work is done with leaders of teams/organizations (CEOs, co-founders, C-level & executive teams), the changes in behavior at the leadership level ripples through the team/organization. As leaders evolve in how they relate to their own selves, how they relate to their teams changes in a similar way, which then creates changes throughout an organization. This is true for an individual in their personal life (i.e. families, friends, social structures) as well as their work life.
5. OWNERSHIP & STRUCTURES
There is more to be said on ownership by the commons and structures that replicate these 4 principles in every action. We aim to evolve to where we require these from any partner with whom there is interaction. Other concepts in development are (a) capital is energy (in consciousness that takes the form of attention and intention), we are changing how the energy of capital is applied; (b) creating new regenerative fund structures and investing structures that also incorporate different concepts of ownership and governance; and (c) designing impermanence (death) into our structures (companies, products, etc.) as an important part of stewarding the full cycle of energy, intentionally releasing energy back into the systems in ways that nourish the systems which support us.
6. PRELUDE - What it means to be human:
A. The only single truth I can prove is that I am having an experience and I’m aware of it. Everything is filtered through my awareness - every sensation, emotion, thought, intuition, and even the observer, all arise in my awareness. Therefore, awareness is the only thing I know to be true, beyond any doubt.
B. Being human is essentially a creative act. We create with our attention and intention (thoughts and actions). If awareness is the only thing I can prove, then I create structure with my awareness through applying my attention and my intention. Of the infinite things that can arise in any moment in my awareness, I use my attention to focus on a subset of things. I then use my intention to define things - what they are and what they are not - I decide something is a cup, I decide what is a cup and what is not a cup. That provides structure and rules to create and know what I am creating. I create many things with my attention and intention in every moment.
C. Whatever we create contains a reflection of where we are on our path back to interbeing. If we still believe we are separate and need things (control, approval, safety) then what we create is in some way designed to bring that which we seek to us. For example, if we need to control outcomes to feel safe, we create relationships where we manipulate or control others (spouse, children, pets, employees). If we need $ to feel safe/worthy (power, health, comfort) then what we create is in some way designed to attract $ (creating art that will sell). If we need approval to feel safe or worthy (accomplishment, recognition by others etc.) then in some way what we create is designed in some way to bring us approval (I do my work to win the approval of my boss, or peers, or a publication). This shows up in our intention, and where we choose to place our attention. On some level these “rewards” end up unsatisfying, often leading to a crisis (midlife, or health, divorce, estrangement, depression, anxiety. If in the alternative we have learned to source approval internally, we are free to follow our instinct and flow state, achieving our peak performance and often happier lives.
D. Often the path to experiencing interbeing is blocked. We often call these blocks trauma or behavioral patterns or constriction/resistance. Some experiences in life are so painful or shameful that we never want to experience them again. The way through is often with emotional healing. Experiencing these fully and integrating is the healing path to self-love - as we experience this, we often have moments of diminished separateness (ego of consciousness, self) and an increased sense of interconnected or interbeing. Once you see that you are connected to everything, you can’t un-see it.
E. We help people along this path and then train you to hold equally the experience of interbeing with separateness, and from there to create a more beautiful world using principles of regenerative design and win for all. Which you see as possible from this place of knowing your interbeing.