Planting
Seeds
...
An
interview with Marlin Knecht, Director RustWorks, Arts
and Invention Center (
Friday, November 04, 2005
).
Questions & Answers:
RustWorks is
about planting seeds. Realistically in all probability
not all of them will survive, some will not fully mature
or reach their fullest potential. So why do it? And,
isn't this approach a bit unfocused? Is there a
precedent for this kind of organizational model in
history?
Q. Why do
it?
We plant seeds
because some of them will take off and produce a new
industry, new businesses, new jobs, a developed
technology and most importantly act to serve the greater
good. (The first criteria of seed planting at RustWorks.)
These in turn
will not only through 'the means' of their existence
serve the wider global community, but they will also as
their end, serve the wider global community by funding
missional and humanitarian action. This achieves one of
our criteria in seed planting to keep the ends and means
consistent and parallel.
Q. What
about Focus?
This is a complex
question with at least a two part answer.
A. Focus on
Process
The first part of
the answer is to say that at RustWorks we focus on
process, it is the transformational process of moving from idea to
implementation and then service, that allows us to work
in a 'high change' business environment, and engender
cross paradigm technologies and innovations.
This "process" of
transformational action is mission critical and directly arises from our
core competency which comes from years of
multi-disciplinary research in fields like systems
science, consciousness studies, spiritual growth, chaos
theory and the human change process.
A. Core idea and
Source Technology
The second part
of the answer is this, when it comes to the technology
itself we build out from a core idea, and source
technology, these two things allow us to maintain focus
while at the same time deliver multiple applications of
the source technology in often highly diverse fields.
A
common example of this is paper, think of all the ways
it is used, its used as backing on insulation, as wall
covering, as something to write and print on, its used
for money, the list goes on.
This
source technology goes back to Ts'ai-Lun, who lived in
China, circa 105 A.D.
Q. Is
there a precedent for this kind of model in history?
