[P2P-F] Fwd: Being of Use

Sun Apr 29 16:01:12 CEST 2018

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: jaycousins <thatcousinsboy at gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Apr 29, 2018 at 2:28 PM
Subject: Being of Use
To: michelsub2004 at gmail.com

Dear friends,

I hope this finds you well. In light of last years post (Ruin and Rebirth),
it seems like I'm destined to continuously cycle through a reinvention of
self. So please forgive my vulnerability.

*<<* = a reflection on this year. A caterpillar chewing on the leaves of
the year long past, pooping out nutritious tidbits.

*>* = A call for more opportunities on proven ground. Seeking to prolong
the cocoon of security, while I work out what I wish to become.

*<<*

Last year it was my pleasure to work with a wonderful grass roots
organisation in Sri Lanka. Yarl IT Hub
<http://mail01.tinyletterapp.com/jaycousins/being-of-use/11470321-medium.com/jaycousins/a-garden-of-opportunity-yarl-it-hub-cf190899fee3?c=7397b39d-c055-4ccb-92f0-cadb192fabfa>.
Their growth and community impact - bringing IT, Open Source Tech, and
Entrepreneurship to a Rural community recovering from over 2 decades of
civil war is truly inspirational.

I wrote up my impressions here for those of you who're interested. Any help
amplifying their project is greatly appreciated, too often our attention is
focused on what sucks, we need to hear more stories of people doing great
things with love and care. This is one such story. Please read and share
widely.
<http://mail01.tinyletterapp.com/jaycousins/being-of-use/11470321-medium.com/jaycousins/a-garden-of-opportunity-yarl-it-hub-cf190899fee3?c=7397b39d-c055-4ccb-92f0-cadb192fabfa>

For those of you in the startup community, or responsible for building labs
and ecosystems, I took a deep dive into Sri Lanka's Startup Ecosystem
exploring what obstacles and opportunities lie in this space.
<http://mail01.tinyletterapp.com/jaycousins/being-of-use/11470325-medium.com/jaycousins/an-open-letter-to-sri-lankas-startup-ecosystem-8827a4b42409?c=7397b39d-c055-4ccb-92f0-cadb192fabfa>

Many of the insights are a broader critique of existing challenges within
the Startup culture, which prevent many innovations from taking place and
create a very narrow band of "novel" ideas that make it to market. For
those of you who wonder how we end up with shit like the Juiceroo - this
may offer you some ideas to reflect upon. I got a bit carried away - it's a
bit long. So here's a PDF
<http://mail01.tinyletterapp.com/jaycousins/being-of-use/11470329-drive.google.com/open?c=7397b39d-c055-4ccb-92f0-cadb192fabfa>
for your ebook reader etc. Sri Lanka is in a high energy phase right now,
and it's a great time to get involved.

*>*

This year I'm being pulled in many directions as usual, trying to navigate
that narrow crossover point between money and meaning.

I really enjoyed the work I did last year, and the feedback I've had from
Yarl IT hub has been very favourable.
So I'm looking for more work in the following areas:

Collaborating with Local Community Builders to support both Leaders and
General Community, helping them to grow and develop their skills in
Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Personal Confidence.

Working with Innovation Ecosystem Builders, to address critical blocks and
obstacles in the path of innovations and Entrepreneurs.

*If you know of any communities/companies/organisations that would benefit
from my combination of creativity, entrepreneurial experience and systems
thinking please let me know. *

The above request relates to the ongoing challenge of personal security,
which pulls me away from projects which I would prefer to focus on and
engage in.

This was one of the critical insights from my Sri Lankan research, perhaps
most visible to me because it was and remains a concern I have myself.

We are pulled in two directions. On one hand the need to provide security
for those we love, and on the other drawn to explore opportunities to meet
our collective needs.

(this is compounded by the sheer volume and scale of ideas and
opportunities from Personal Cooling Systems
<http://mail01.tinyletterapp.com/jaycousins/being-of-use/11470333-www.instagram.com/p/bgdrluwg3iu/?c=7397b39d-c055-4ccb-92f0-cadb192fabfa>
at one end of scale to how to enable Universal Basic Service
<http://mail01.tinyletterapp.com/jaycousins/being-of-use/11470337-blog.p2pfoundation.net/universal-basic-services-could-work-better-than-basic-income-to-combat-rise-of-the-robots/2018/02/16?c=7397b39d-c055-4ccb-92f0-cadb192fabfa>
through distributed currency at the other).

An idea that sticks with me is to somehow align the needs of security and
opportunity. That the 2 forces should be aligned, that Entrepreneurs and
Inventors have the security to explore. But the Opportunities they explore
should create greater security for all.

I want to be secure, I want to be free to explore opportunities to Improve
our collective quality of life. I want to increase our chances of thriving.

So as well as the above propositions of how I can be of Value. I'd like to
open up the question to those of you who each contain another perspective
or point of view of me.

I have numerous ideas of what I could offer (eg. a patreon account where I
share ideas freely and patrons vote on where I devote my time and energy)
but I can only ever see myself through my own lens, my Potential Usefulness
exists in the space between myself and the world.

Value is created at the point a need is met, and it would be foolish to
anticipate your needs, especially when seeking to meet my own. So I humbly
request your feedback.

*How can I be of Value or Service to you or someone you know?*

Thanks in advance.

Jx
My Newsletter <http://tinyletter.com/jaycousins> by jaycousins
80 filey road Scarborough, United Kingdom
<https://maps.google.com/?q=80+filey+road+Scarborough,+++United+Kingdom&entry=gmail&source=g>
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