Enjoyed a brief morning discussion with Will, picking up where we left off the night before, which I'd describe as the sailboat analogy:
You can build a sailboat optimised for specific conditions, but as the wind and seas are variable, what really is optimal?Applied to startups, one might say this is the choice between building:
- a sailboat optimised for a sprint in specific conditions (i.e. quick exit), or,
- a sailboat adapted to operate in any conditions (i.e. cockroach), or,
- something in between
My life experiences and upbringing have strongly inclined me to build a robust vessel that can navigate reasonably through any conditions. However, I'm well aware that the shiny, fast sailboat is the one that garners the most attention in the harbour. Few will be inclined to actively seek out the sailboat most likely to weather the worst storm.
Then Will brought up a pertinent point: "do we really need to optimise for progress?" In other words, should we perhaps question the impetus to create disruption in the name of progress?
It's honestly something I don't really question myself. I see the trajectory of humanity as an extension of evolution: continuous change adapting to a dynamic environment. Much like a collection of unique sailboats being piloted individually through variable weather.
So what are we piloting our sailboats towards?
My world view is that there is an "edge of chaos" which varies over time, and the closer we navigate toward that edge of chaos, the faster we progress (in an evolutionary sense). I see myself as piloting toward that edge, maintaining a reasonable distance to adjust for any abrupt changes.
Will again challenges the impetus to push forward as such toward progress, citing the motivations and reasoning of the Luddites in the first industrial revolution.
While we don't agree on this point (which is more than okay!) what we decided we both agree on is a paradigm which maximises the freedom/purpose of individuals while collectively stewarding resources to preserve this ability for subsequent generations.
(Reminded me of a funny tweet from this summer...)