From Layoffs to Lift-offs: Navigating Tech and Media Challenges; The Art of Building Resilient Communities
Welcome to #FixTheWorld or #GiveUp newsletter no. 46
Apologies for the slight delay; in compensation, I've condensed two and a half weeks' worth of reflections and insights, hoping you appreciate this week's contemplative challenge. Delve into the topic of tech and media layoffs, considering them as opportunities for growth.
It is rather had writing original ideas and long blog post that might help fix the world, you know!? even with help of AI my live stream last week (with AI Tips).
Without further ado, Let's together FixTheWorld.4Good.Space (do tell others!)
We will cover: How to transform tech and media layoffs into an opportunity for unity and community building. Rise above social media divides, swap pessimism for positivity, and apply a 'minimal viable product' approach to unleash human potential. Build financially sustainable solutions for local challenges, breaking free from political polarization.
TLDR:
Harnessing Human Potential In Challenging Times
The recent wave of layoffs in the technology and media sectors presents a unique opportunity amidst the hardship. Thousands of talented, motivated people are now looking for their next step after being let go due to overhiring during the pandemic boom.
However, some companies like cloudflare had wrongly blamed individual performance rather than acknowledging the macroeconomic factors at play , it was the more high profile firm that got caught probably tip of the ice-berg.
We Chinese has a saying: “塞翁失馬，焉知非福。” The wise man that loses a horse, may find it is a blessing in disguise.
Rather than succumb to pessimism, we can view this as a chance to empower these individuals to collaborate and build solutions & community. Just as great companies, art and innovations have emerged during tough times historically, so too can we spark human potential now.
The key is to overcome the divisiveness that has been exacerbated by social media algorithms and toxic politics.
We must find common ground across differences in race, religion, geography and politics. This starts with restoring trust in each other and believing in human goodness.
Confucius 孔子 advocated the cultivation of "Ren 仁" (benevolence), "Li 禮" (rituals), "Xiao 孝" (filial piety), "Yi 義" (righteousness), "Zhi 智" (wisdom), and "Xin 信" (trustworthiness) as key virtues to establish a harmonious society, maybe time for the west to adopt this tradition.
In the west, studies show conservatives are happier than liberals today. This is likely because progressives see pervasive injustice while conservatives are more content with the status quo. A "culture of negativity" on the left robs people of agency and motivation according to research.
However, structural disadvantages are real. The goal should be empowering people while revealing the forces that shape lives. A discourse of collective victimization can be counterproductive. There are no one-size-fits-all political solutions.
Let’s focus on grey area to build understanding & build bridges.
We must focus energy on positive contributions rather than just critiquing systems. As Gandhi said "Be the change you wish to see in the world." True Philanthropy, media and the creative community can help spread this mindset.
On a grassroots level, people can create social enterprise, public benefit corps., for profit companies, nonprofits and initiatives to solve problems while paying contributors fairly. We can build physical and virtual communities to tackle issues collaboratively.
Democratising access to capital, resources and knowledge would be key to success.
For instance, the local food bank or community energy project. Teaching neighbours or local people life/Tech skills? Or helping laid off tech workers gain skills. eLearning platforms are a scalable model. So are remote work hubs and cooperatives.
Can we develop Good-Residency or Good-Hackathons?
As I previously proposed for Gr8.pub FTW post:
Media, brands, genuine philanthropies, and creatives possess the resources to contribute to collaborative projects, even if it's just an initial 2% of marginal mindshare or media assets. The cumulative power of collaboration can swiftly grow and foster the mass adoption of this community-oriented approach!
This is what I call 4Good.Foundation Can you help join to make this happen?
In 2024, if we fail to act, climate change will make life untenable in few years.
But coming together with "hearts and minds", create new habits (even by just asking the right questions!) we can potentially slow the negative effects of climate change.
We must awaken human generosity and ingenuity to the great cause of Fixing the arriving shitstorm (literally!).
By combining media and creative elements, and incorporating music, there are reasons to be hopeful. Good music has the power to uplift people's spirits, as seen in the marches to Soul that originated from the era of slavery. The application of music therapy is proving effective for healing and building resilience. Additionally, neuroscience reveals that our brains are 'plastic, ' allowing us to rewire thought patterns (for good or bad!)
Using Music therapy plus practicing gratitude literally changes neural connections for the better, and maybe arouse and empower people into +ve actions. (If only to get up from sedentary lifestyle & Anti-aging!)
So while economic conditions are challenging, we cannot allow pessimism to become a self-fulfilling prophecy . The future remains unwritten. By illuminating solutions and empowering community actions, we can kindle the indomitable human spirit.
So, What’s the plan? What can we do?
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill (although no one could find when he said this supposed quote. )
This quote (whether it was by Winston Churchill or not!) encapsulates the essence of overcoming challenging times. With wisdom and foresight, it could inspire us through the darkest days of our climate crisis & post truth world. Adding de-globalisation, economic turmoil, political polarisation, climate change and public health crises (obesity), and social media polarisation, we need much needed moral leadership that will awakens everyone's human potential.
Combining all those dire headlines with Millions losing jobs in the technology and media sectors that not long ago represented boundless opportunity. The algorithms of Facebook and Twitter dividing people. Democracy itself under threat as authoritarianism & far-right ideology spreads.
Don't forget #Deepfakes is bringing #TruthDecay, must develop #DeepFakesSelfDefence:
Yet history provides hope. World War 2 catalyzed medical discoveries like penicillin and technological leaps. The civil rights movement, Stonewall riots and women's liberation ignited societal progress. Early HIV/AIDS activism, ACT UP, brought people together across differences. The Great Recession birthed movements like Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party.
So too can today's crises spark human creativity, ingenuity and cooperation. But this requires foresight and moral courage. We must illuminate solutions, not just problems (Occupied wall street succeed in occupying , but no viable solution proposed, thus we stayed the same in 2024). Appeal to human goodness with "hearts and minds." Start small and build collaborative momentum.
Can we Harness media and technology for good, not just profits?
A often quoted Chinese proverb "风向转变时, 有人筑墙,有人造风车 . When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills, " applies now (although like Churchill quote before, may have been made up!).
Will we wall ourselves off in echo chambers of rage and despair? Or build windmills to channel change productively? The future remains unwritten. Let's write a good one together!
Chapter 1 - Overcoming Pessimism
Contemporary culture celebrates negativity and catastrophizing. As psychologist Jonathan Haidt writes about The Coddling of the American Mind great book on "Vindictive protectiveness" caused by social media . This zeitgeist erodes agency and motivation.
Progressives see pervasive injustice and feel hopeless. Conservatives perceive escalating moral decay so dig in defensively. Collective disillusionment is bipartisan. Everyone thinks society is moving away from their values.
This toxic tribalism distracts from constructive community building. Seth Godin rightly distinguishes skepticism, which demands evidence, from mere cynicism. Yes, injustice exists in America. But reforms happen in times of growth and stability, not stagnation. Stoking anger may feel righteous, but it backfires. Frankly assessing trade-offs, incremental progress and win-win solutions is needed.
Behavioral research shows focusing on problems over solutions decreases life satisfaction. The media bombards us with negativity because it grabs attention, not because it represents normal lived experience. Most people are basically good.
It's time to reframe problems as challenges. Challenges summon our creativity and spirit of adventure.
Problems foster resignation. COVID-19 is a challenge to rally our medical knowledge, not an insurmountable problem. We must find and develop a crowd sourced version of Longitude prize to fix our local, regional and worldwide problems.
Peter H. Diamandis XPrize help solve issues that major 'sponsors' want to solve, so, not a critisim, but like the big political donors, seems sadly we just hear about the news and not seen much results on the ground (yet), some after 10yrs like Google Lunar project prize of $30m ended without any solutions/winner . I personally would love 10yrs of promotion by a non profit that makes tonnes of news!
Longitude prize in 1714 helped crowdsource the solution to help navigate in sea (for the wider world) , in 2024 we need a new format/crowdsourced prize(s) in guiding UHNWs to lost youths to a common goal now. I look forward to seeing the result of fixing superbugs:
Most crises present opportunities. Author Ryan Holiday writes of "the obstacle is the way" - turning roadblocks into catalysts for growth. Military strategist John Boyd coined the term OODA loop for observe, orient, decide, act . The agile reorient new information quickly rather than rigidly clinging to old mental models.
Change/Fix our mind:
Science confirms brains are neuroplastic - we can rewire neural patterns through practice. Learned helplessness is not inevitable. We can train optimistic mindsets. Gratitude journals, mindfulness, exercise and community service boost serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. Mental habits channel the brain's malleable wiring for good. Find, create your #Tribe4Good:
So while current events feel bleak, they May/Must spark collective awakening. The tragic gap between reality and possibility can summon us to new heights of courage, charity, and vision. By focusing on possibility, we can narrow that gap.
Chapter 2 - Minimal Viable Products
"Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but rather when there is nothing more to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (little prince author)
Artists, entrepreneurs and activists alike should start small with a "minimal viable product" approach (ideally collaborate together) as created by Eric Ries . Adopting this mantra from the Silicon Valley world:
Let's adopt this ourselves: Quickly build momentum by iterating on solutions to urgent local/regional/worldwide problems. Be agile, collaborative and financially sustainable. (Focusing on deliverable rather than launching black tie events)
Where to begin bridging possibility and reality? "Minimal viable products " revolutionized software design and can reinvigorate community action too. The Lean Startup methodology says start with the simplest prototype meeting core needs. Iterate quickly based on user feedback. Let solutions evolve organically.
Minimalism strips away extraneous features to reveal essential elegance. This complements exponential technology.
Hardware engineers leverage this exponential principle with rapid prototyping. 3D printing builds realistic models for testing fast. Taking a "MVP" approach to societal challenges maximizes scarce time and resources. We must construct quick experiments tapping collective intelligence.
领英推荐
Consider vaccines. America's Operation Warp Speed public-private partnership rapidly developed COVID-19 vaccines through a "portfolio approach". By funding multiple candidates, some paid off spectacularly despite inherent risks. Contrast this with the usual plodding phase-based model which can take over a decade.
Rotary International practically eradicated polio spending just $1.7 billion over 30 years . Their global network of volunteers organized "National Immunization Days" for mass vaccination. Technology played a role but coordination was key.
Software Entrepreneur turned philanthropist Bill Gates embodied this concept by creating The Giving Pledge. He convinced billionaires to publicly pledge half their wealth to charity during their lifetimes (although it's not legally binding & estate could contest it! great article by Kelsey Piper ). This built at least some momentum and a community ethos (ok, some just wanted to join the ‘club’).
Of course, not all generosity needs to be so extravagant. Small daily acts of service add up. Volunteering at food banks, tutoring kids, cleaning up public spaces, checking on elderly neighbors, comforting the grieving, mentoring the struggling, preaching peace - we lift humanity by lifting each other.
Beyond direct service, we need accessible tools allowing everyone to contribute wisdom and passion on societal challenges.
Online civic "agoras" can crowdsource solutions and link organizers. Whether municipal participatory budgeting or humanitarian hackathons, technology unlocks collective intelligence. Still too often great ideas lack sustainable funding and execution.
So true philanthropies should fund programs that democratise entrepreneurship - microloans, basic income, mentorships, startup incubators (create ventures for good). Poor people don't lack ingenuity, just capital and connections (& not to be used for fodders to create TV entertainment!).
Democratised opportunity is economically essential; humans need an outlet for creativity. Purpose and dignity come from empowered work.
Chapter 3 - Building Resilient Communities
“一矢は容易く折れるが、十矢は折れない A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.” – Japanese proverb
However we empower change, collaboration is key. Margaret Mead's quote remains apt: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” The whole exceeds the sum of parts.
Ofcourse, I would prefer to use 'FixTheWorld' instead.. it changes how you see this section!
This interdependence manifests physically and spiritually. Architect Anne Thorne helped friends build an eco-village called Cannock Mill. Their shared vision endured a 13-year slog finding land and securing permits. But now 30 seniors live sustainably together, helping combat loneliness.
Can we develop Good-Residency or Good-Hackathons? YES We can!
Love this story from UK self built commune of more mature people with Anne Thorne (I'm going to apply!):
There are no silver bullets. We must embrace nuance and avoid false dichotomies. Sometimes hardship is unavoidable - "eating bitterness 食苦" as the Chinese proverb goes. But put more energy into constructive actions wherever possible. It took Anne her friends 10 years, multiple mortgages to build their dream commune, they have to do chores for their commune AND the local community now, and tolerate each other's nit picking (or develop such skills for those that took it easy before).
Building community despite the challenges is crucial. Opting for no diversity—whether in terms of age, skin color, culture, or religion—implies choosing a narrower set of people to contend with in the end
As I previously proposed for Gr8.pub FTW post:
Media, brands, genuine philanthropies, and creatives possess the resources to contribute to collaborative projects, even if it's just an initial 2% of marginal mindshare or media assets. The cumulative power of collaboration can swiftly grow and foster the mass adoption of this community-oriented approach!
This is what I call 4Good.Foundation Can you help join to make this happen?
Financial models:
Creative financing models such as land trusts, cooperatives and crowdfunding lubricate development. Groups can bootstrap projects then "pay it forward" to seed subsequent ones. A rising tide of collaboration lifts all boats.
Open source everything & try to 'disrupt for good', rather than just disrupt everything for sake of it!
Beyond physical community, virtual forums foster knowledge sharing. Despite toxic aspects, social media enables potent ideal alchemy for good also. Thought leaders should maximize this reach responsibly.
Turn followers into leaders by mentoring on delivering viable solution, rather than only follower counts with a view to sell them on (for advert, or sell them ultra process junk, to your 'mentoring services').
Curation counters information overload. Human editors provide bibliophilic intimacy algorithms lack. Newsletters like Maria Popova's BrainPickings or Tim Urban's Wait But Why enrich discourse through wisdom and wit. We need learning communities not just social discourse/ communities. Quantify self, and spend time with what nourishes & challenge you:
Gamifying civic engagement also heightens participation, especially among youth. For instance, the entrepreneurial simulation game Democracy 3 lets players experience political consequences first-hand as fictional prime minister . They must balance competing interests and undergo a crash course in ethical leadership. Making civics interactive motivates future voters and leaders.
Of course, nothing replaces in-person community service and political engagement - town halls, community organizing, voting registration drives, get-out-the-vote campaigns, fundraisers etc. Technology should complement real relationships. (Be very careful of whom you follow though, as Germany's rise of AfD was due to people following professors !)
The slow food movement is instructive here. Started in Italy to protest fast food encroachment, it champions preparing meals locally using ethical ingredients. Their manifesto says food "should taste good; be produced in a clean way; and connect producers to consumers in mutual support." Savoring food is savoring life.
Chapter 4 - Rallying All Sectors
“We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.” – George Bernard Shaw
Solving complex challenges requires all sectors working together. Nonprofit groups provide direct services and mission focus. For-profit businesses supply financial sustainability. Governments contribute scale and funding. But a diversity of approaches outperforms monolithic ones.
Rather than just donating money, companies should allow employees paid time off to volunteer skills; Lenovo offers this. Disney employees receive free park tickets to donate to charity. Pfizer scientists teach science in schools. Expedia staff help vulnerable communities globally. Timberland pays employees to take environmental microsabbaticals.
But responsibility can't just fall to individuals. Systemic change requires ethical capitalism in which executives answer to all stakeholders not just shareholders. The public supports this: 90% of Americans want companies taking public stances on social issues. Firms must champion diversity, sustainability and economic justice.
Policy nudges businesses too, whether subsidies for green energy or tax credits for research. Sensible regulations balance entrepreneurial freedom with consumer protections. Workers on corporate boards, like in Germany, reduces short-termism. Quarterly capitalism chasing earnings per share should yield to long-term thinking.
Responsible media is critical as well. While ratings chase spectacle, quality journalism holds the powerful accountable. Solutions-focused reporting is essential too. There is enough darkness already without journalists piling on.
Nonprofits also need reinvigorating. Too many replicate overhead (or do similar things) when collaboration would boost efficiency. Antiquated technology handicaps their fundraising and volunteer coordination. Younger social entrepreneurs demand evidence-based interventions, not just passion. Data analytics, randomized controlled trials, and longitudinal studies should inform programs. I used to think effective altruism is the solution before it start exhibiting something more than effective doing good (billions from FTX then boardroom coup at OpenAI etc.).
Philanthropy needs reimagining too. Billionaire philanthropists like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg have funded health and education breakthroughs. But even well-meaning programs sometimes lack community input and metrics. Traditional charity can foster dependency not empowerment. We need participatory philanthropy strengthening communities.
No one sector alone can drive change. As Martin Luther King said, “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.” Systemic inequality needs systemic solutions. But rather than await sweeping revolution, build different alternatives now.
Chapter 5 - The Critical Role of Media and Arts
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.” – Bertolt Brecht
Media and the arts can profoundly influence attitudes and policy. However, recent polarization shows communication channels spreading both truth and misinformation. The same technologies enabling Arab Spring liberation fueled the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
So creators must inspire humanity's better angels. Change happens through culture often more than politics. Abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, far more than legislation, shaped anti-slavery sentiment. Peak TV yesterday means ever more progressive storylines around diversity. Visibility fosters acceptance.
Literature also imparts wisdom across centuries and continents. Reading fiction literally grows empathy . Fiction won't fix the world, but might play a role in moving it in the right direction .
Music also channels moods for good or ill. "We Are The World" inspired collective generosity & raised $90million , it was a good start, has it really fixed Ethiopia though?. Music therapy is clinically shown to heal trauma and depression through neurochemical shifts.
Comedians distill truths too. Jon Stewart battles politic misinformation alongside hard-hitting satire. John Oliver flips standup comedy using searing social, world commentary. Laughter relieves anxiety and builds connections.
Dance, theater, photography and visual arts all spur change too. Hamilton brought America's founding stories to new diverse audiences. Plays like The Inheritance tackle HIV/AIDS history and queer identity. Social realist photography exposed early 20th century poverty. Banksy graffiti art still skewers greed and violence.
Films also drive collective conversation. Gender politics evolved through movies like 9 to 5, Thelma and Louise and The Handmaid's Tale. Oscar winner CODA spotlighted deaf lives and sign language (although it was a remake of an already great French film La Famille Bélier !). Representation fosters empowerment.
But creators alone cannot control their art's impact. Responsible parenting, education and law help maximize creative works for human growth.
Especially now, media should unite not divide humanity. Conspiracy theories yield to compassion and truth. Stories uplifting our shared hopes and struggles counter despair. A thousand paper cuts of callousness require radical healing. Most influencers also sadly focus on money and do not care enough to ask the right question and select 'good sponsors' like Patrick Boyle do:
At its best, creativity makes life worth living. Music, poetry, cuisine, humor and art comfort the suffering soul.
Our short time in this world acquires meaning through acts of human imagination.
Conclusion: The Future Remains Unwritten, let's make it good!
“The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.” - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin emphasized building a better tomorrow. No matter how dim the present, we retain power over the future. Small acts today compound over generations. Our choices - isolation or fellowship, cynicism or empathy, stagnation or growth - shape humanity's trajectory.
Pessimism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy only if we let it. Biological realities limit but don't fully decide our fate. Genetics dealt musician Itzhak Perlman polio yet his soaring talent lifted millions. Malala Yousafzai survived gunshots to become Pakistan's youngest Nobel laureate. Environment influences but does not imprison us.
However, time is short regarding existential threats like climate change. Avoiding irreversible planetary damage requires urgent sacrifice and innovation. Wealth must fund sustainability and social justice. Leaders with interdisciplinary wisdom should guide policy. Global cooperation cannot wait on messianic revolution; piecemeal progress will have to do.
Happily, science reveals human brains remain plastic and "buildable" lifelong. Neural patterns can be rewired through practice to increase optimism, gratitude, and empathy. Oxytocin and serotonin soothe stress when we help others. Post-traumatic growth is real - hardship can develop character.
And millennials are far more idealistic about social change than older generations, rejecting reckless materialism. Younger generations spearheaded recent social justice and environmental movements. They distinguish "success" as fulfillment, not just money and status. There are cracks of light amidst the darkness.
Of course, life's fragility haunts even the most charmed existence. Death erases fame and riches. Our names will soon be forgotten. But good deeds send ever- multiplying ripples through time. Solidarity multiplies courage. With hope, humor and compassion, we leave rings of love - not wealth or even wisdom.
So despite frenzied technological change, economic hardship, political rancor, demographic shifts and climate instability, we must renew civic spirit. Summoning Lincoln's "better angels of our nature" requires moral imagination. By seeing lives as epic journeys, not problems to fix, we find meaning.
This is the heroic choice before us. Do we despair or dream? Regress into violence or progress through goodwill? Hoard for ourselves or share abundance? Build walls or build windmills? With courage, creativity and community, we can kindle humanity's indomitable spirit.
History is watching.
What say you? What would you do? Comments/suggestions/constructive debates below please:
My challenge for you is to spread the words and Let's FixTheWorld.4Good.Space and Get involved!