Dept. of Possibility
About
Institute of Possibility started with a mission to inspire the curious to overcome the impossible.
The working hypothesis is that when someone takes an idea and finds a way to put it into action, they are entrepreneurial.
In a way, then, we are all entrepreneurs:
The person with a dream who figures out how to get things done, transforming an inkling of an idea into an immutable reality.
It can be a relatively obscure discovery in a laboratory or it can be a bold movement to rally humanity to put a man on the moon.
Scale is of no consequence when passion attests to conviction.
Every pursuit of curiosity, from childlike wonder to an astrophysicist who never stops tinkering, has the power to inspire the human race.
Experimentation is the anecdote to complacency.
An entrepreneur can be described as taking existing elements and figuring out how to organize them in new and novel ways.
Henry Ford didn’t invent the car, but he pioneered the assembly line, revolutionizing the automobile manufacturing process;
Marie Curie didn’t invent radioactivity, but she upended the field of physics and chemistry with her ground breaking research;
Walt Disney didn’t invent animation, but he irrevocably transformed storytelling through animations and theme parks;
and, while Steve Jobs didn’t invent the computer, he completely reimagined who could use it, and offered them the tools to do it.
What exists, how it can be combined with something else, and what transpires as a result, involves as much intuition as hard work.
There is an undeniable art-and-science to the discovery of ideas. It requires practice and preparation as well as serendipity and chance.
The time of an entrepreneur, coincidentally, is one predicated on time itself. It takes time to innovate.
Entrepreneurs, undoubtedly, demand possibilities — they actively listen, detect patterns, and sense unexpected ways to organize opportunities.
The American philosopher Alfred North Whitehead’s formulation for learning - romance, precision, and generalization - is directly aligned.
Yet, for most, there is no romance in entrepreneurism.
As a matter of fact, very rarely does the term, outside its origins as undertaking a project, resonate.
An entire set of entrepreneurial traits emerge against the backdrop of an indiscriminate landscape of the imagination:
adaptability, observation, wherewithal, sensibilities, conviction, foresight, resilience, patience, courage, and, perhaps more than anything, a relentless ability to not only imagine and pursue possibilities, but to resolutely craft unique ways for them to be envisioned, reorganized and accomplished.
A new idea, however, is often met with resistance — personal or otherwise. Learning how to keep these forces at bay, from within and from without, becomes a worthy charge of the spirit.
Lest we forget, there are always wild and unexpected detours in evolution.
The reason d’être for an entrepreneur is the pursuit of curiosity, coupled with the practicalities of bringing innovations to life.
An example could be a farmer whose tractor breaks down in the middle of a harvest, cannot find the necessary parts to fix it in a timely fashion, so crafts a unique solution out of their toolbox, on the spot, maybe never realizing they just invented a field kit for every farmer.
They are entrepreneurial.
The point to make is this: everyone is capable of remarkable pursuits. It’s not a position reserved for the elite. Ironically, the more diverse the insights, the more original and likely the breakthrough.
At the end of the day, putting possibilities together is an act of innovation, a practice of creativity, one that can be cultivated and championed.
“When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences and synthesize new things. And the reasons they were able to do that was that they’d had more experiences or have thought more about their experiences than other people.” — Steve Jobs
Our task, therefore, is to create a safe, diverse, and inclusive space, a place where ideas can be explored, questions asked, and connections made; and, simultaneously, provide inspiring resources, helpful guidance, and positive encouragement, that de-mystifies what it means to be an entrepreneur.
We’re all in this together, swarming in possibilities, as beautiful, trying, and dangerous as it may seem.
The spirit of the entrepreneur can be cultivated in a culture which inspires the curious to overcome the impossible.
If we learn to reorganize our own possibilities, we can start to envision connections taking on a life of their own.
The heart of an entrepreneur is curious, relentless, and made of each of us. May our focus be dedicated to our craft. The sun shines brightest when joy discovers possibility.