Social Entrepreneurship and Evolution

I had tea with Parri at Lazari’s on Wednesday. Try the lamb pita.

Among other ideas, we talked about the sustainability of community computer labs and school connectivity projects.

A theory for social entrepreneurship, of special relevance to projects involving computers and the internet: Finding the champions in a community that provide sustainability is a bit like the early stages of evolutionary theory.

Let me tell you a story first…

In 1997 Linux was kinda new and let’s face it, a bit intimidating. Which is a bad thing, unless you like intimidating challenges. At the time, I figured there was no cooler thing than a massively complex system (art) that made perfect logical sense after you mastered it.

I remember making a poster for the Stellenbosch Linux User Group which we founded. The first draft of the poster actually mentioned how complex and intimidating it was..

Before you looms one of the most complex and utterly intimidating systems ever written. Linux, the free UNIX clone for the personal computer, produced by a mishmash team of UNIX gurus, hackers, and the occasional loon. The system itself reflects this complex heritage, and although the development of Linux may appear to be a disorganized volunteer effort, the system is powerful, fast, and free. — LIGS

Linux is a product of an inherently decentralised anti-hierarchical network and quite possibly the most important achievement to stem from the internet. But most of all it’s a chance to be inspired. — First Stellenbosch LUG installathon poster

I remember reading HOWTO documents for fun. There’s some good humour in HOWTOs. I loved discovering the “fortune” command.. a massive collection of quotes.

In 1997 my cousin lived in a student house with a Linux geek, so I met two geeks who knew a bit about Linux. I was clueless at the time, but I was interested. I kinda begged them to help me get going.. I think they figured: yeah, sure dude, you may just last a week, but it’s not worth our time.. so they gave me a Linux distro CD set and sent me on my way. Help yourself.

Now, do not confuse the state of Linux distro’s in 1997 with 2008. You had to pretty much do everything from scratch back then. Took me the better part of a week to get something working, but two weeks later I had two Linux PC’s that could ping each other.

Later, at Linux installathons (bring your PC and we install Linux for you) there would be a competition on how many people you could install Linux for in an evening. Sounds like fun… but the real challenge was finding people who would stick with Linux and not just switch back to their previous OS a week later. And ultimately finding people who progressed to the point where the started installing Linux for the people around them.

There did not seem to be a pattern. Some people were converted, some not. We couldn’t really figure it out.. but it seemed that the more people struggled and get something working on their PC the more likely they were to continue going. Remember, these were the days when not that much hardware was supported out of the box.

The inverse was also true: easy come, easy go. If it just worked.. I think people figured, I could just re-install Linux again some other time if I really need it.

What’s my point? Well, it’s about an investment in time.

If people are interested and passionate when they start a project AND they struggle a bit, they begin to invest. If they invest and see some positive feedback pattern (success), they gain momentum. They start to care. They own something. They feel pride. They have something to lose. It becomes a part of their identity.

There is a sensitive dependence on initial conditions in a person’s transformation from ignorance, all they way to fanaticism.

I don’t think you can predict the combination of variables to create these catalyst environments. The best you can do is hope you have the right resources available when people become receptive to ideas that stimulate interest and passion.

Let the primordial juices flow.

“You are never dedicated to something you have complete confidence in. No one is fanatically shouting that the sun is going to rise tomorrow.” — Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

“He had everything except desire.” — Gattaca

“There is no gene for the human spirit.” — Gattaca