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Bonus 7: Creating an MVP (Minimum Viable Pattern)

2m 38s

Bonus 7: Creating an MVP (Minimum Viable Pattern)

This bonus episode of the Pattening of Hope podcast series synthesizes previous conversations by viewing transformative innovation as a process of repatterning the dominant ecosystem governing a matter of concern. Using the shift to renewable energy as an example, it emphasizes that a new ecosystem must enroll diverse actors into novel roles and relationships. Practitioners are advised to assess the scale, scope, and boundaries of the ecosystem to determine which actors to engage early and which to challenge later. Keeping the boundaries of old and new ecosystems fluid enables exploration of change from the first to third horizon. The core practical concept is the "minimum viable pattern"—the simplest, actionable pattern that can be embodied with others to start transformation. A reflective exercise is offered: first, recall a major societal change, like the smartphone revolution, and trace its early actors and the minimum viable pattern they created. Then, apply this insight to a personal area of concern, identifying where you can act, enroll others, and define your own minimum viable pattern. The episode concludes with gratitude to collaborators and practitioners who inspired these practices, which blend systems thinking and futures work.

Transcription

434 Words, 2504 Characters

English
Welcome to bonus episode 7 in the Pattening of Hope podcast series. We're approaching the end of our series of conversations, and in this one we started to pull all the practices together by thinking of transformative innovation as a repattening of the dominant ecosystem, which governs any matter of concern you might be looking to address. We used the example of the transition to renewable energy and all the new players' relationships and roles that requires. The new third-erased ecosystem must come into existence by enrolling new actors into a different pattern. We need to take a view of the scale and scope of the ecosystem to be changed and its boundary with a surrounding context. This choice will help reveal the actors who might be enrolled into the change, and those who might have to be challenged, perhaps in the initial stages or maybe waiting until later. By keeping boundaries of the old and new ecosystems constantly in play, we can explore the possibilities for transformative change as we move from first to third horizon. In practical work, we look for the simplest pattern that we have the power to embody in relationship with others to get change underway. We often call this establishing the minimum viable pattern. Here is a practice to try. Bring to mind an area of widespread change in society that you have seen unfold over recent time. To the point where what was once the third horizon has become today's first horizon. For example, having a smartphone in our pocket that we can use anytime, anywhere to access products and services across the world was once just a techno dream. Thinking of it as a shift in ecosystem, tell the story of who the first actors were that started the change. What new relationships did they embody to create a minimum viable pattern? You may wish to press pause here while you consider, then come back for the final bit. Now you have your example sketched out. Bring to mind an area of your life that you are concerned with. What does this way of seeing transformative change reveal? Where do you have the power to act, to enroll others and embody a new ecosystem? What would your minimum viable pattern for change look like? Thank you for practicing with us. These exercises have been inspired by a lifetime of experience alongside many systems and futures practitioners to whom I'm deeply grateful. Thanks also to Ali, our producer at Spiritland Studios and to Simi Singh who recorded and wrote our wonderful music right here in West Wales.

Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. Transformative innovation is framed as repatterning a dominant ecosystem to address a matter of concern.
  2. The example of renewable energy transition illustrates enrolling new actors into a different pattern with new relationships and roles.
  3. Defining the ecosystem's scale, scope, and boundaries helps identify actors to enroll or challenge at different stages.
  4. A key practical step is establishing a "minimum viable pattern"—the simplest pattern embodyable with others to initiate change.
  5. A suggested practice involves reflecting on a past societal shift (e.g., smartphones) to trace first actors and their new relationships.
  6. Apply this lens to a personal area of concern to identify where you have power to act, enroll others, and create a minimum viable pattern.

Summary:

This bonus episode of the Pattening of Hope podcast series synthesizes previous conversations by viewing transformative innovation as a process of repatterning the dominant ecosystem governing a matter of concern. Using the shift to renewable energy as an example, it emphasizes that a new ecosystem must enroll diverse actors into novel roles and relationships. Practitioners are advised to assess the scale, scope, and boundaries of the ecosystem to determine which actors to engage early and which to challenge later.

Keeping the boundaries of old and new ecosystems fluid enables exploration of change from the first to third horizon. The core practical concept is the "minimum viable pattern"—the simplest, actionable pattern that can be embodied with others to start transformation. A reflective exercise is offered: first, recall a major societal change, like the smartphone revolution, and trace its early actors and the minimum viable pattern they created.

Then, apply this insight to a personal area of concern, identifying where you can act, enroll others, and define your own minimum viable pattern. The episode concludes with gratitude to collaborators and practitioners who inspired these practices, which blend systems thinking and futures work.

FAQs

Transformative innovation is a repattening of the dominant ecosystem that governs a matter of concern, such as transitioning to renewable energy by enrolling new actors into a different pattern.

By taking a view of the scale and scope of the ecosystem and its boundary with the surrounding context, you can reveal actors who might be enrolled into the change and those who might need to be challenged.

It is the simplest pattern that you have the power to embody in relationship with others to get change underway.

The shift to having a smartphone in our pocket for anytime, anywhere access to products and services, which was once a techno dream.

Identify where you have the power to act, enroll others, and embody a new ecosystem, then define your minimum viable pattern for change.

Keeping boundaries of old and new ecosystems constantly in play helps explore possibilities for transformative change from first to third horizon.

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Transcription

434 words