Tag: sharing economy

Who is ready for real democracy?

Posted on by philipdodson

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So this week I am at the Ouishare Fest 16 at the fabulous Cabaret Sauvage in Paris. My mate Bernie has been telling me to come to this for 4 years. Now I am finally here, I wonder why I never came before, it’s not like I need much of an excuse to visit Paris.

This morning I was listening to various chats on Block Chain, which I did a podcast on recently and blogged about. I am now starting really understand the potential of this technology. I am not suggesting now that I have become some expert, far from it, but I can see a glimpse of how this technology can allow complete decentralisation and can effective bypass or replace the needs for governments.

If you are regular reader of my blog, then you will know that I am not a big fan of the current world operating system, I am not a fan of the establishment, I am not a fan of all the ‘isms’, party politics and the industrialised system that has enabled a tiny few to hoard all the wealth and power. Where the majority of the 7 billion + of us are mainly replaceable and interchangeable cogs in their ‘machine’.

So seeing a technology like Block Chain, which is effectively a giant ledger that the many own rather than the few. So we can have a truly global democracy that the many can own and run. So we can have control of governance, rather than be in no control of the governments that currently govern us.

The thing about all of this is, when the majority of the 7 billion who have been stolen from by the colonial and industrialised system, that the Western countries have mainly controlled, demand reparations for this and a return of the stolen wealth and resources, which clearly they would vote for in a truly global democracy that every citizen would have a valid vote in, then the all of us in the West will have to get comfortable with redistribution of resources, especially the uber-wealthy of the world.

True global democracy will come as Block Chain will inevitably enable this revolution, but like any big change, it will come with a price and we have all to be aware and sure we are ready.

The fact is, there is already more than enough wealth in the world so that we can all live comfortably. I blogged before that if we started with a blank sheet of paper and designed the world, we would not create what we currently have. We would not give virtually all the money/power/resources/political control to less than 1% of the population.

Block Chain could enable us to reverse that and bypass that system rather than having to destroy it. For me, bring on the revolution, let’s create true global democracy.

Desperate to fit in at the start-up circus

Posted on by philipdodson

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There is an ever growing desperation to fit in, to be part of the crowd.

Let’s pivot, be authentic, investor ready, get that deck done and go out a find a VC, Angel, Crowd meal ticket to a short-cut.

No, don’t, please.

Speak plainly, speak from the heart, do not spend your life regurgitating other peoples words, have something to say yourself, be bold, speak out loud from the heart about what really, really, really matters to you. Show that genuine burning desire in all that you do.

Do not be scared about what others think or say, do not be frightened to say what is really on your mind, it will be more interesting, different and so what if it is a bit controversial, a bit risky. Risky is remarkable, safe is boring.

Don’t sit listening to platitudes, don’t sit listening to soulless people delivering words devoid of meaning. Don’t clap and nod in agreement, when deep down you know you’d rather chew your arm off than listen to any more of this painful process driven banality.

That does not mean being outrageously insulting and rude for the sake of it. That doesn’t mean that you shut yourself off. But if you speak genuinely based on your values and what matters deep in your heart, then the people who matter will appreciate it, the ones who don’t like it, well they are not part of your tribe and they do not matter. If you listen to your own intuition and listen to your inner voice, then you will break free from this life sucking circus that ‘entrepreneurship’ and ‘start-ups’ have become.

I hear many people say stuff, without passion, without care, and I see people sit there and listen, who equally do not care, but they are desperate to fit in, desperate to be part of the crowd.

Well, don’t fit in, break free of the crowd, set yourself free from jargon, soulless babble and speak your true mind and build your own audience of rebels, free spirits and people who have a passion.

Build something based on your values, build something sustainable, be patient and don’t sell out to others, no matter how tempting their money might be to short-cut success.

The people who peddle the jargon, who peddle the need for an investor, the people who offer bland ‘paint by numbers’ short-cuts to success are selling your dream to someone else or selling you their service.

Stand up, be brave, be bold and be different. Don’t jump on that start-up merry-go-round, stay away from the circus.