Your Official Invite to Be Part of Building Better Systems
In recent months, there's been a palpable uptick in "systems talk"... In many communities (especially climate/sustainability/social justice/better economy circles), it's pretty agreed upon that the biggest issues we’re facing are the result of failed systems; therefore, we need systems solutions. I'm 100% on board with this line of thinking.
However, there’s a lot of "talk" about systems change & systems thinkers, but not a lot of real NEW systems building happening. Why is that?
I think one major reason is because “The Economy” has been culturally off limits as an area of innovation for anyone other than economists, politicians or academics for far too long.
Do you know who IS highly skilled at designing and building reliable systems? Engineers. Engineers get their thrills by building reliable, efficient systems. Do our cars and planes and medical equipment just work reliably by sheer luck? Of course not, it’s the result of great systems engineering.
Who else has been left out of the new systems building conversations? Architects. Industrial Designers. Many Software Developers. Data Scientists who can spot patterns in systems data…. And creatives of all kinds - especially those who can tell the stories of complex systems in ways that are relatable.
I would argue all these roles are naturally innovative “systems thinkers”, yet we have so few of them working on creating better systems for us to interoperate. That's something that needs to change if we’re going to succeed in designing a better economic experience for all.
So this is an official invite to all the people who never imagined themselves building better systems of all kinds for humanity at large. The world needs you! Engineers: You’re awesome, and often undervalued. Come play in an area that is ripe for innovation. Designers and developers! You don’t have to stay within the red ocean confines of building physical products or apps. Come explore the vast blue ocean that is the future of human cooperation.
