May 18, 2020
Read Packy's 10,000-word essay here.
Throughout history, much of the world's progress has come from
particular combinations of place, people, and time. Ancient Greece,
Renaissance Florence, and Silicon Valley are just a few of the
examples of this phenomenon, which Brian Eno dubbed
"Scenius."
One characteristic that each of these scenia share is that
they emerged from catastrophe, from the Bubonic Plague to World War
II. Today, we are in the midst of a similar crisis, and new
scenia will be born out of Covid.
In this essay, I explore history for the ingredients that go
into the creation of scenius, learn lessons from budding modern-day
scenia, and provide a roadmap for promising communities that want
to change the world can follow. It's time to build together, and
scenius holds the key.
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After six years at Breather as the NYC GM and then VP,
Experience, Packy is building Not
Boring, a community of smart, curious people, and writing a
newsletter about business strategy and trends mixed with
pop culture.