“Create wealth like a Capitalist, distribute it like a Marxist.” Here’s what that looks like… Simon Biltcliffe believes that Capitalism is a great way to create wealth, but is terrible at distributing it. And Marxism can’t create wealth for toffee, but has great principles for distributing it. Adjust for externalities, and there you have the […]
Founders and Owners
When was the last time you gave your $Bn company to a charity?
Yvon Chouinard’s donation of Patagonia to an environmental charity was as stunning as it was not unexpected from him. But it created a moment of doubt for me. And having spoken to a handful of purpose-minded owner-CEOs since, I know I’m not alone. Because there’s “all in”. And there’s “ALL IN“. His action was almost […]
Building a clean energy company with fossil fuel skills
Karl Farrow was awarded a medal by the Mexican authorities for his role as a volunteer overseeing the safe destruction of buildings in the immediate aftermath of the Mexico City earthquake of 2017. What’s that got to do with the company he founded and runs? Plenty, I think. I dive into this episode in his […]
Your business doesn’t care
Something (most) founders get, but others on the team less so. When something goes wrong or fails to happen, and you have a (even very good) reason why, your business doesn’t care. Nor does your body. And neither does the universe. It’s the thing about owning something completely. There may be valid reasons why something […]
What if you focussed your company’s work on improving lives rather than maximising profit?
How would your company look if you made an explicit decision to be guided in your strategy, your operations and your decision-making by a principle to improve lives rather than maximise profit? What if you decided what level of profit is necessary to achieve that goal, settled for that, and then used your P&L in […]