Cults and Stages of Civilisation
Lots of talk about cults on Farcaster and in Denver recently got me thinking. I think it’s fair to say that cult-like movements are far more common in the US than Europe. Why? When I say ‘cult-like’ and ‘mania’, I’m thinking of social movements, not economic ones. In a social movement, wealth and class has little impact on someone’s participation, but this is pivotal to how someone engages with an economic movement (like a trade union or a strike). Of course, finance lies square in the middle...
Cults and Stages of Civilisation
Lots of talk about cults on Farcaster and in Denver recently got me thinking. I think it’s fair to say that cult-like movements are far more common in the US than Europe. Why? When I say ‘cult-like’ and ‘mania’, I’m thinking of social movements, not economic ones. In a social movement, wealth and class has little impact on someone’s participation, but this is pivotal to how someone engages with an economic movement (like a trade union or a strike). Of course, finance lies square in the middle...
René Girard, mimetic desire, and society's biggest rat race
The French polymath had an original perspective on why we want what we want, and thus what really moves the world.
René Girard, mimetic desire, and society's biggest rat race
The French polymath had an original perspective on why we want what we want, and thus what really moves the world.
Community and the niche market vibe shift
Brands and creators that build for niche and dedicated communities will win the 2020s.I’ve seen a lot more sweetshops around recently. Specifically, these Victorian-themed tuckshops and sweet connoisseurs, plucked from two hundred years prior and plopped in the middle of a high street that doesn’t quite know how to welcome its new tenant. One of the sweet shops near me plasters ‘Toys, Trains, Treats” on dated storefront panelling; it’s the shop you thought your grandparents went to when they ...
Community and the niche market vibe shift
Brands and creators that build for niche and dedicated communities will win the 2020s.I’ve seen a lot more sweetshops around recently. Specifically, these Victorian-themed tuckshops and sweet connoisseurs, plucked from two hundred years prior and plopped in the middle of a high street that doesn’t quite know how to welcome its new tenant. One of the sweet shops near me plasters ‘Toys, Trains, Treats” on dated storefront panelling; it’s the shop you thought your grandparents went to when they ...
Web3 Goes Mainstream. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
There are two types of problems in the world: when something doesn’t work correctly, and when it does.This product doesn’t work because of X problem. These are Class 1 problems.This works perfectly, and that causes X problem. These are Class 2 problems.Class 1 problems come when the product doesn't work properly. Class 2 problems come when it does. These problems are highly relevant in the context of web3 (which is a word I’m using as shorthand for blockchains like Ethereum). But they ar...
Web3 Goes Mainstream. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
There are two types of problems in the world: when something doesn’t work correctly, and when it does.This product doesn’t work because of X problem. These are Class 1 problems.This works perfectly, and that causes X problem. These are Class 2 problems.Class 1 problems come when the product doesn't work properly. Class 2 problems come when it does. These problems are highly relevant in the context of web3 (which is a word I’m using as shorthand for blockchains like Ethereum). But they ar...
Scoping the landscape: leadership and change
Empowered Belonging is a newsletter about how good leadership can build societies fit for the 21st century. But what does that mean?Happy new year — in this inaugural post of 2022, I want to scope out the landscape for the ideas I’d like to cover over the next twelve months, with more detail about the concepts that I’m going to focus on.Leadership is at the heart of itLeaders have an outsized influence on whether change manifests as a challenge or opportunity. It makes sense to invest resourc...
Scoping the landscape: leadership and change
Empowered Belonging is a newsletter about how good leadership can build societies fit for the 21st century. But what does that mean?Happy new year — in this inaugural post of 2022, I want to scope out the landscape for the ideas I’d like to cover over the next twelve months, with more detail about the concepts that I’m going to focus on.Leadership is at the heart of itLeaders have an outsized influence on whether change manifests as a challenge or opportunity. It makes sense to invest resourc...
