Hello Reader,
We recently came across someone with an interesting specialty. They used Design Thinking to redesign business models. We didn't get all the details, but it sparked conversation between us as we took our post-lunch walk.
Design thinking focuses on finding problems to solve and creating and testing a suitable solution. This got us talking about effectuation.We're big fans of effectuation.
We've mentioned it before but for newcomers it's a decision-making logic that feels particularly relevant for purpose-led businesses. Unlike traditional causal reasoning that begins with a predetermined goal (like design thinking), effectuation starts with the means at hand: who you are, what you know, and who you know. It encourages creative use of available resources rather than pursuing growth at any cost.
What makes effectuation particularly powerful is its emphasis on co-creation with stakeholders. Instead of viewing competitors as threats, you can explore partnerships that generate mutual value. This collaborative mindset will transform how you approach innovation. You might see uncertainty not as a barrier but as an opportunity. Focus on affordable losses rather than expected returns. You can experiment more boldly while maintaining responsible business practices.
We're not anti design thinking. It absolutely has a place in innovation. Just as effectuation does.
Have you looked at what you have lately?
Food for thought,
Adam
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Business Reimagined
βFood Forests reimagine urban agriculture by transforming spaces into a self-sustaining ecosystem of edible plants arranged in seven distinct layers that mimic natural woodland structures. Unlike traditional community gardens, these food forests operate on ecological principles where multiple species work together, creating environments that become increasingly self-maintaining over time while delivering multiple benefits: local food production, natural carbon sequestration, stormwater management, and community gathering spaces. Several cities including Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Madison have launched these initiatives, converting underutilised urban spaces into productive landscapes managed through community stewardship models.
Most businesses aren't about to transform into urban farms. But the principles behind these projects make sense. These food forests show how "useless" spaces can become productive with multiple outcomes. Businesses can expand beyond incremental actions to improve. By looking at what your capabilities are rather than what your end goal is you may discover multiple opportunities.
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π ROI & Impact:
It's difficult to quantify ROI in community projects but food forests have many benefits:
- Food Production: The obvious primary benefit is fresh, local food. While it's not an immediate benefit for all foods, given time the farm will be a big provider for the community.
- Community Engagement: These projects not only bring people together through volunteering, education and food, they also bring the community back to an area that was empty and unused.
- Ecological Design: Food forests are designed to mimic natural woodland ecosystems with layers of plants that work together. This farming is more diverse in it's production and encourages regeneration and biodiversity.
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π Transferrable Ideas:
We often call out systems thinking and understanding the interactions of different parts of the business. This is an (abstract) example of that. Moreso it highlights an effectual logic. The food forest project looked at what they had and, through their capabilities, what they could do. As they worked it revealed more and more outcomes beyond just a garden. It became a place to meet and educate and share.
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π Minimum Viable Adaptation:
- Don't fixate on the next big idea - Start with what you have, not what you want. Map your unique capabilities and let innovation emerge from existing strengths.
- Collaborate - Once you know your capabilities, seek collaborators who complement them, not just to fill gaps, and create entirely new possibilities. Focus on who you know and what potential partners are willing to commit. Stakeholders can become co-creators.
- Pilot it - start small, understand one part of your business and see where it's capabilities could lead. Collaboration can be internal too.
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π€ The Cynical Questions:
- Are we creating dependencies on volunteer labour? Relying on community enthusiasm rather than funded support could mean these projects collapse when the initial excitement fades or other community pressures/priorities arise.
- Does this create a false sense of food security? These projects are fantastic ideas, but are they part of wider plans to make this fresh food production the norm throughout all communities?
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Food forests show that looking at what you already have can create multiple benefits from seemingly "useless" resources.
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Is your business genuinely future-proof?
A checklist of reflective (and prompting) questions to quickly assess how future-proof your business is.
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Signals & Noise
βThe latest Edelβman Trust Barometer released in the last couple of weeks reveals that over 60% of Australians harbour high levels of grievances - a stark indicator of societal discontent. This widespread dissatisfaction spans economic insecurity, concerns about the future, and a sense of being unheard by institutions. The report specifically highlights that 62% of Australians feel the country is more divided than in the past, while 55% believe the system is failing them.
Signal Strength: π²π²π²π² (4/5)
Why it's a Signal:
The fragility of trust represents a critical shift in the social contract that businesses operate within. This trust deficit manifests in unpredictable consumer behaviour, employee activism, and demands for greater corporate transparency. The barometer indicates that while business (55%) remains more trusted than government (48%), this relative advantage is precarious and cannot be taken for granted.
The Insight:
Trust has become a fundamental business asset. Organisations that ignore mounting public grievances risk reputational damage, customer alienation, and potential regulatory backlash. The barometer shows that business (55%) remains more trusted than government (48%), giving corporate leaders both an opportunity and responsibility to address legitimate concerns. Companies that demonstrate genuine understanding of community grievances and take meaningful action can build lasting trust advantages over competitors.
Questions for Leaders:
- How well do we understand the specific grievances - spoken and unspoken - affecting our customer base and communities?
- Is our organisation addressing economic insecurity concerns through our employment practices and business model?
- Are we communicating authentically about societal and environmental challenges, or simply pushing positive corporate narratives?
- How might we better demonstrate that stakeholder concerns influence our decision-making?
- What partnerships (with government, NGOs, or other businesses) could help us address systemic issues more effectively?
The Australian Federal Election campaign is underway now that a date has been called. It's about as noisy as it gets. Policy is squarely aimed at the cost of living crisis and easing that (or pointing the finger at who's to blame).
Signal Strength: π²π²π³ (2.5/5)
Why it's Noise:
- The policies are aimed at scoring votes for individual interests.
- Most of the measures are short term, with revaluation for their necessity over time.
- A lack of long term strategy (or vision!) quick fixes = quick changes.
Watch Out For:
- The longer term impacts of short term, politically-motivated decisions - and their implications for favourable conditions beyond the election cycle.
- Superficial policy promises being used as deliberate distractions.
The Real Signal to Watch:
- Make no mistake: business is political whether we like to admit it or not. The real signals to watch for may not be spoken or reported on by the media.
- We recommend including independent sources in your media diet through the next few weeks.
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Wild Idea: Limits to Growth
I created a new video talking about another wild idea - go check it out, leave a comment or a reaction (and if we're not already connected, be sure to connect with me!)
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π§ What We're Listening To
β"βFuturing Is... Imagining, with Rob Hopkinsβ" the author of "From What Is to What If" has a new book about to be released called "How to Fall In Love With The Future: A Time Traveller's Guide to Changing The World" and in this episode talks about the power of imagination as a tool.
We've been so curious about this: how to open the imaginations of business leaders to envision what the future could look like (so we can take the bold action required to create it).
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