vid 2

Introduction

• The course focuses on post-growth entrepreneurship, exploring its importance before practical skills.
• Students will develop hypothetical businesses throughout the course.

Business as Activism

• Activism groups rely on donations and volunteers, facing funding challenges.
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can encounter the "subsidy trap," potentially losing charitable status with excessive business-like operations.
• This mirrors the "poverty trap", where individuals may lose benefits when seeking employment or starting businesses.
• Fair trade empowers consumer choices, influencing the type of world consumers want to support economically.
• Business-to-business fair trade utilizes business spending power for ethical impact.
• Launching an ethical business can encourage existing businesses to prioritize ethics.
• Ethical ventures attract talent by providing meaningful work, even at similar pay levels.

Business as Art

• Business can serve as a form of art, challenging conventional views.
• Avant-garde business models are often inefficient and unconventional, emphasizing unique approaches.
• "Inefficiency" can boost appeal and promote human-centered philosophies.
• Playfulness and creativity foster innovation and stronger customer engagement.
• Overcoming silos between creative and rational minds leads to innovative breakthroughs.

Business as Spirituality

• Buddhism highlights "right livelihood" within the Eightfold Path, emphasizing ethical work and money.
• Mindfulness and meditation, popularized in companies like Google, improve leadership and company culture.
• Mindfulness shouldn't be used manipulatively or unethically.
• Taoism emphasizes "not doing", a concept counterintuitive for business, but valuable for leadership.
• The Dao De Ching emphasizes trust, humility, and letting go.
• Semitic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) address economic fairness, debt relief, and usury issues.
• Judaism prohibits interest on loans to the poor.
• Christianity discourages greed, promotes lending without profit motives.
• Dante's Inferno places usurers in the seventh circle of hell, showcasing the condemnation of excessive profit.

Spiritual Aspects of Business

• Islam prohibits interest-bearing loans (usury).
• Many Islamic countries have Islamic banks offering interest-free or low-interest loans.
• Pope Francis' encyclicals (Laudato si and Fratelli Tutti) discuss economics, climate change, and trickle-down economics, outlining "The Economy of Francesco."
• Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle deemed usury "the most unnatural and unjust trade."
• Roman philosophers Cicero, Cato, and Seneca similarly opposed usury.
• The speaker examines the ethics of "breeding money from money," referencing businesses such as landlords, bankers, and fund managers.
• Reconciling business and spirituality is a multifaceted challenge.

The Hero's Journey in Business

• Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey"/"Monomyth" is a 12-step framework, common in stories and theater.
• The Hero's Journey includes a call to adventure rejected, a helpful mentor, overcoming obstacles, a final battle, and a triumphant return.
• Entrepreneurs can use this as a business framework.
• The speaker suggests aligning the entrepreneur's "North Star" purpose with daily decisions, creating a meaningful narrative.

Legacy and Personal Impact

• Time, not money, is the most scarce resource.
• A 44-year-old woman without children emphasizes business as a legacy building tool.
• The speaker uses business impact through activism, non-profit work, and entrepreneurship education.

Synchronicity and Scavenger Hunts in Business

• Entrepreneurship features synchronicity or coincidences contributing to success.
• The speaker encourages prospective entrepreneurs to create space in their lives, saying "no" to unnecessary commitments.
• Recognizing curiosity and exploring interests can lead to unexpected business opportunities.
• Elizabeth Gilbert's "Big Magic" highlights the importance of curiosity and personal exploration in creativity.

The Value of Lean and Agile Approaches

• Detailed business plans can hinder creativity.
• Agile and lean approaches, like The Lean Startup methodology, are preferred.
• MVPs (Minimum Viable Products), user feedback, and rapid iterations are emphasized.
• Business adaptation based on external feedback and user needs is crucial.
• The speaker parallels Agile software development (daily stand-ups, two-week sprints, DevOps) with business strategy, showing iterative processes for complex systems.