Blog

Calling All Disruptive, Boundary-Smashing, Distributive Enterprise Heavyweights

We are recruiting a Co-Founder to join the team at Factor e Farm. This blog post describes this offer. (we are also looking for project Advisors and Mentors, see last paragraph of this post)

Open Source Ecology is a movement for creating the open source economy. The means is creating distributive enterprise based on open source design of products and services. The focus is clear: to introduce material post-scarcity as  a practical option via open source economic development – starting with the 50 Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) tools as a core kernel. Our tactical platform for deployment is the the GVCS – a core enabling kernel for a wide array of enterprises and infrastructures. We are attempting the impossible: opensourcing all 50 of the GVCS technologies by December 21, 2011. We already secured $1/2M to make this happen, so we guarantee that at least 18 of the 50 technologies will reach Beta product release. We are positioned to hit the ground running in 2012, while wrapping up LifeTrac impreovements, with 9 project leaders and a basic plan of prototyping 14 machines in parallel (we are busy recruiting 5 more technical project leaders). We will come out on schedule if a protype emerges on one month cycle in each project. See the OSE Enterprise Plan.

Project Co-Founder Duties

The Project Co-Founder is an individual who shares both high level executive duties and daily tasks with the Project Founder – in running Open Source Ecology development at the global headquarters – Factor e Farm in Missouri, USA. This includes strategic development, organizational development, and prototyping – both in organizational and hands-on aspects. It is a full time job, and the Co-Founder is required to live on-site during the 2012 development phase.

Philosophy: Intrinsic Motivation and Extraordinary Goals

 We are looking for a Co-Founder who is motivated intrinsically by higher purpose – as in Daniel Pink’s TED talk on the surprising science of motivation. This means someone who values: (1) autonomy – desire to drive one’s own life; (2) mastery – getting better at something that matters; and (3), purpose – yearning to do something in service to something much greater than oneself.

Regarding pay – I thought about the issue of pay structure at length – and came up with this conclusion. Even though we now have the resources to hire someone for this position, I feel that it is not in the best long-term interest of the project to do so. Instead, I  suggest that the Co-Founder be a volunteer position, just like I am a volunteer. At factor e Farm, there are only volunteersdefined as people with intrinsic motivation who are not empoyees, but partners who are generating their own resources while working on a common vision of a post-scarcity society.

The general critique of not paying somebody is that we would not recruit the high level talent necessary for success. I am convinced, however – that by not paying somebody – we will do even better. I don’t think that money can buy the type of ethical and practcal motivation required for the leadership of the OSE movement.

My expectation is that the Co-Founder comes in to the project as a startup entrepreneur – with both the resources and resourcefulness that will take the project into a higher gear. That is how I started. And what if a great candidate comes in – but is broke? I would question whether that person had the type of resourcefulness – clarity on the greater purpose – critical to project leadership. Such resourcefulness is a sign of one’s basic responsibility and entrepreneurial qualities. When the greater purpose and clarity is present, all else solves itself.

I am looking for somebody who has a mindset of abundance: that anything is possible, and that we can always expand our resources and grow. I am looking for someone who understands that the challenge is not the absence of resources – but the clarity, focus, and creativity of how to secure them and manage them wisely. At the same time, this job requires somebody well-grounded in practice + wise management of resources + frugality that allows existing resources to be used as directly on the creation of a post-scarcity economy as possible – while avoiding any booby-traps of bureaucratic bloat.

I am looking for  a candidate nothing short of a movement entrepreneursomeone who uses technology as a digitally-savvy outsider to create new sources of power by mobilizing the voices of many. In our case, that refers to one who facilitates the transition to a distributive economy – by developing a kernel of essential open product design – distilled from the technical contributions of many. This means, first: a person who uses institutional power, but doesn’t get institutionalized. Second, it means someone who builds  a movement, not a cult of personality – meaning a movement that distributes power – as opposed to concentrating it in a charismatic leader. Third, it means building for the long term – not creating an ephemeral internet meme.

The Co-Founder must be part of the deeper message that OSE is bringing to the world. We want to live the example – even in the early stages – of what the economy beyond artificial material scarcity would look like. Factor e Farm is such an experiment – and admittedly so – we are only now pulling out of pervasive material scarcity. In essence – the 21st century is a time where with the wise use of technology – people can regain the ability to follow their deepest pursuits – as opposed to trying to put bread on the table – as in today’s mainstream of artificial material scarcity. I clarify that I am not suggesting that the welfare state is the answer – but a state of affairs based on the highest human productivity and responsibility. I am talking about a state that returns to ideals such as those found in the early American experiment – a republic where individuals, their autonomy, responsibility – are respected. America (or fill in any country in which you reside) is losing its productivity on essential items, but creative solutions are around the corner to reinvent the local economy.

Therefore, the Co-Founder must be a generalist who enjoys the DIY ethic and is excited by participation in their own sustenance – by appreciating that such power is key not only to one’s own autonomy – but to autonomy in the greater world. Political implications are significant.

We want to empower  individuals to unleash their creative and productive powers, and we want to lead by example. We are making a claim that the best solution to a robust economy comes from an interdisciplinary approach – one of intensifying the economic capacity of any community – by intensifying information density available to and used by any community – via access to open source enterprise. The limit of this is a complete economy – and therefore autonomy on the community scale. This is not free – it comes with individuals being reskilled and reconnected – to nature and their means of survival – as a deepest form of reconnection, as a form of checks-and-balances – between humans and nature – and between humans and other humans. The implication is that individuals, to be truly empowered – not at the cost of others or at the cost of nature – have to be connected as close as possible – to their means  of survival.

The cost is not particularly high – as it should take 1-2 hours per day for an individual to provide their needs of survival. This involves mainly food production – as that is the main aspect of our survival that needs constant attention. The rest – housing, energy, and technology – are minor if these are provided by machines that follow lifetime design – and if these amchines are used with wisdom of not wasting resources.  Thus, we are not returning to the toil of repetitive labor associated with production. The only remaining barrier to widespread adoption is merely social status – perceptions that physical labor is for peons. We believe instead that real work as such is honorable – as it builds character and provides autonomy.

We thus encourage that a person at Factor e Farm spend 1-2 hours per day on survival, and the rest can be devoted to higher purpose. We want to live this at Factor e Farm, even in our early days of today.

Do we? In a way – yes – in so far as all of us here spend all of our time pursuing higher purpose. At the same time, we are pioneers and startup entrepreneurs , so we ‘work’ all day. And we don’t have food and energy autonomy yet – so we haven’t proved the data point of 1-2 hours of work per day. However, each of us believes that we can achieve the post-scarcity condition rather readily, and that we can demonstrate a widely adaptable pattern that can be adopted by the rest of the world.

We lack the experience to know that this is impossible, and we have the experience that knows that we should try.

The point remains – that in order to be responsible, we want to engage in as much productive activity for survival as possible – and with appropriate tools – the cost of living goes to negligible. It is expected from Factor e Farm participants that they have a DIY ethic of engaging with their means of existence.

By developing further infrastructure tools – we aim to demonstrate that startup – of a productive farm, manufacturing operation, or whole community – would cost, say $100k, as opposed to $1M. And taken to the extreme, with division of labor and metal melting of steel from scrap – this cost goes down to $10k or so – while retaining industrial efficiency that allows for a modern standard of living – and about 10x more free time than the existing economy.

Mainstream beliefs dictate that specialization is a more efficient route, and we are experimenting to prove that flexible fabrication – is more efficient. Pure specialization is more efficient under certain condition of technological capacity and information access of a system in question. At the same time, the efficiency of specialization discounts the inefficiency of large scale at which trade occurs (mainly global geopolitics), and relies on the fallacy of  per-capita wealth increase – where the reality is that the actual distribution of wealth is decreasing (ie, there is a larger relative number of destitute people today than at any time in history).  Specialization is valid under the assumption of proprietary information and large capitalization costs. Open source reduces these barriers, allowing productive capacity on a smaller scale. How much smaller? We aim to demonstrate that a 200 acre nominal parcel can attain modern civilization (ie, the unprecedented requirement of 1-2 hours per day of labor for the populace, and pursuit of higher purpose in the majority of the time). This is the order of Factor e Farm. As Co-Founder, you are expected to respect this as the prime objective of the Factor e Farm – not in an abstract sense – but as a near-term (~3 year) objective – which includes the smelting of silicon and extraction of aluminum from clay as realistic, on-site processes.

Practical Skill Requirements

The above was more of the philosophical description of needs for the Co-Founder. More practically, we are looking for:

  • A high level of effectiveness and followthrough on accomplishing stated goals
  • Excellent communication, organizing, and project management skills
  • Technological and computer literacy – enabling quick understanding of key issues
  • Creative problem solving, interdisciplinary approach, fearlessness in boundary crossing
  • Ability to be bold and to publish early and often
  • Ability to involve others and to play part on a greater team
  • Ability to take on initiative and to take responsibility for their living/working environment
In general, you must rank in the top 1000 of the world’s innovators, doers, and change agents, as demonstrated by your track record of success.
My personal Invitation
By reading this blog, my story, media interviews, and copious other materials on the internet – you may gather that I am an extremely ambitious and proactive; not afraid to publish early and often; plus a meditator – attempting to balance the impossible with practical reality. I am an open book, and that my entire current motivation is based on realizing the open source economy.  My forte is trying to gain as many skills as possible – from digging dirt one minute to talking to world leaders the next – from making metal shavings to meditating, and so forth. It should be clear to you what I am like – and if you have reservations about working with me – you are probably not the right person for the job.
The number one quality I would like in a Co-Founder – outside of an ability to be bold and creative in problem-solving  – is hands-on experience with some kind of physical production. I believe that it’s critical for people to get their hands dirty if they really want to understand how the world works – and to be effective change agents – and to have a real appreciation of true power and autonomy.
You will be part of a world changing team, and the action will be exciting. We are a rapid learning community – where the exciting part is the rapid conversion of idea to reality. That is accelerating. As I always say, ‘We ain’t seen nothin’ yet.’
To apply, please send a resume and 3 samples of your work portfolio, along with answers to these questions:
  1. When would you like to arrive at Factor e Farm, what do you aim to accomplish the first month of your stay, and what obstacles may prevent you from accomplishing your goals? Please be specific regarding the tasks and what you would need to accomplish them. (600 word limit)
  2. If you were to receive unlimited resources tomorrow, what would you do for the next 12 months? Please be specific regarding the allocation of your time and resources. (600 word limit)
  3. As Co-Founder, what would you like to accomplish until December 21, 2012, and how would your experience/skill set contribute to your success? (600 word limit)
  4. If the GVCS project were to disappear for some reason half-way when you were with us – what would you do next? (300 word limit)
  5. Discuss your plans for December 21, 2012 onwards. (300 word limit)
Please send these materials or inquire with any questions by emailing recruiting at opensourceecology dot org, with Co-Founder in the Subject line of the email.
This offer is not limited to a single Co-Founder. We are open to as much help as possible if the qualified individuals are found. This will simply improve the quality of the results that we will deliver by Dec. 21, 2011.
Further, you can help us recruit. Please pass this on to your world-changing friends if they are the right person for the job.
We are also looking for project advisors and mentors. Advisors are subject matter experts who can provide technical guidance in the development of the 50 GVCS technologies – see the areas needed. The requirement for Advisors is a loose role based on email or phone communications. Mentors are individuals who also cover the same areas as the Advisors – but at a deeper level – where the mentors offer to meet with members of the GVCS development team to provide hands-on, practical assistance or collaborative design. In the best scenario, a mentor offers their facilities and hands-on development of some technological aspect to a GVCS developer – or provides assistance on actual design while participating in the design process. The expected time requirement is from a weekend to about 1 week or more per year. We found that retired professionals are particularly useful as advisors and mentors – as these individuals have the experience, and time, required to help. To make suggestions or offers, please contact us at recruiting at opensourceecology dot org, or put your suggestion on the Top Candidates for Factor e Farm page on the wiki.

6 Comments

  1. anon

    You guys are flying! You’re soaring like eagles above the status quo. I hope you can take pride in what you do, you deserve it perhaps more than anybody else in the world.

  2. […] opensourceecology.org Marcin […]

  3. PN

    Hey have you guys experimented with Tesla coils for wireless electricity?

    It is 100% harmless and it does not lose power over distance. There is kit models available online type Steve Jackson Tesla Coil and get it.

    Imagine you made this bigger scale and operated your machines based on a remote power source!!

    You can power up farmhouses with this!

  4. Ridwan

    Hi, this is a great initiative, I’m very inspired by it and I wish you the greatest success and I hope to be able to contribute once I got some time.

    Just a small typo: you have “amchines” instead of machines on the paragraph that starts with “The cost is not particularly high – …”

  5. jude

    dude – your energy and the project sound great but your words/decriptions a tad on the non-inclusive side. plus you want to go down the road of getting a co-founder but talk like its a ‘hire’ – not same. plus someone surviving on their own resources – novel idea – and there’s behavioural science research that would back you up on that – but then you go and describe hoops to jump through for application – eiish!
    just writing to say what you describe is about tools and mechanisms for social change – but most important mechanism to get right in all of this is how to change mindset and behaviour – its not all about the tools.

  6. Paulo

    Must say I agree in part with Jude. Marcin and collaborators are innovators of our time racing against the clock. The worrisome part for me in following this blog is that there is still no functioning farm! All this focus on equipment for a Village but no example of a viable food source. Even the best creators become grumpy if peckish. Could it be that in all the rush to finish designs and prototypes there is little appreciation/importance placed on the producers of food and the nourishment that eating properly and with appreciation provides? I know only too well it’s easy to get caught up in ideas and deadlines, but if the very basic needs of gathering together for meals that are best grown ourselves are neglected, aren’t we missing the point? I know Factor E says it is advertising for a farmer and I hope I see this as more a priority. All the equipment in the world is useless without appreciation and attention to the very basic essentials of life. I think a mentor of communication and human relations is also necessary. In my experience, for any idealistic project to work it takes a lot of attention to positive procedures of communication and inter-relations between people on-site. This should not be an afterthought but a fore-thought.
    Good luck to all of you and I will continue to read, share and learn.