18 March 2020

A message from EIG

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, Stay Home

When Steve Jobs told us to connect the dots we didn’t know at what level. At macro level the dots are visible to a large extent and we can see them. At micro and molecular level we hardly know anything, this is the truth. It also happens that the micro world works exponentially by default, whether it is interaction between molecules or a virus outbreak. The precautionary principle suggests not to mess with the micro world when it goes out of control. Stay home.

Since we co-founded EIG back in 2005, we knew that we had to expect the unexpected, dealing with uncertainties is our raison d’etre. Not the best business of course, but someone has to do it. The current situation is a wake up call, another one, the same as climate crisis, waste crisis, and now virus crisis. Natural systems are interconnected but built on resilience, nature does not negotiate. We’re interconnected too, but built on commerce, politics and ego-system. It’s not the same, and we’re facing the unintended consequences in a hard way. We need a new purpose. We need interconnectedness for the Good. Stay foolish.

But we can solve that, with the right values and – more importantly – the right implementation of these values. With our Cradle to Cradle Circular Economy agenda we have been advocating for some “strange” things to the eyes of many people. “Design for abundance”, “holistic management”, “multiplying positive effect”, “less bad is not good”, are some of the quotes we have been using in the last 15 years (many of them borrowed from McDonough by the way). We will keep doing so, we think this is the right thing to do. Time for action. Stay hungry.

Let’s keep on connecting the dots, it’s what humans are for, but the good ones better. “We do it because it’s hard” (JFK about sending the man to the moon). We’ll do it, there’s no alternative (tks Bill).