In January, I began a series of MOOCs on social entrepreneurship. One of the courses focuses on Business Models. My interest is in applying the Open Value Network Model to social entrepreneurship. All of the courses emphasize “scaling” the business. I suggested previously that developing economies of scope might be a better aim. The courses also unanimously advocate Lean processes. In the Lean Startup approach, the social entrepreneur develops hypotheses, builds iterative prototypes, and tests them with real people. “You must leave the office,” is the mantra.
What if, in going out to meet real people, you decided to keep travelling?
The Decentralized Society Research Project demonstrates this philosophy. Included on the website is a link to “offices” (hackerbases) throughout the world.
Extracted from: http://dsrp.eu/about
I am Mathijs de Bruin from The Netherlands. Having been frustrated for a long time about living as part of ‘the system’ (the economic and social structures that dominate our lives) I decided to exchange my house in Amsterdam for a more sustainable and humane form of life.
Within several (3-4) years my plan is to either join or found a sustainable community, being largely independent of dominating power structures forcing the exploitation of our planet and one another.
However, I do not know yet what this would look like.
- What would be the best way to organize, how can we make sure all participants are fully represented?
- How can we allow sustainable forms of living to scale, allowing more people to live in harmony with their environment?
- What can be done to lower (economic) barriers for people to escape ‘the system’?
These and other questions I am trying to answer, while I am travelling around Europe visiting several sustainable communities or eco-villages but also hackerspaces and related events. Taking part in communnity life, contributing and talking to founders, philosophers, researchers and fellow travelers.
Extracted from: https://decentralize.hackpad.com/Decentralized-Society-Research-Project-T0zwOQD4JaS
http://dsrp.eu
Open Source
This project, as well as the communities in focus, work along an Open Source or ‘libre’ principles where:
- Sharing is the default: unless privacy prohibits there should be full transparency at all times.
- Leaders have no (formal) authority of any kind.
- ‘Forking’ allows for fragmentation without degradation, allowing (fundamental) disagreements to persist while maintaining the strength of collaboration.