In 2017, I attended Burning Man with my wife and four friends. Our gift to the community that year was a catering service for wedding ceremonies. We prepared fresh snacks, dressed in our best wedding attire, and rode our bicycles to the Temple before sunset, seeking out groups of people gathered around bride and groom. We began greeting people, announcing that we were the catering service for the wedding party. A guitar player joined us, followed by a flame dance group. Vows were spoken, rings exchanged, bubbly drinks popped, and the guitar played on. The Playa transformed into a boundless dance floor as the first dance quickly turned into a lively party. Around the newlywed couple, new friendships were made, stories exchanged, and memories etched. As the sun set and night approached, closing time came. People gratefully said their farewells, and a silent hug marked the understanding that this ceremony was complete, and the next one was just beginning. Each person moved in their own direction, returning to the 80,000 souls who collectively held the magic in Black Rock Desert for a week every year, offering their gifts.
This experience opened my eyes to how effectively humans can come together to collaborate naturally when aligned under a single purpose and inspired to share gifts. Common values can bring people together with such ease and lightness.
Fast forward to January 2024 in Davos, listening to Adam Grant discuss how the workplace can be improved to accommodate the needs of modern teams. I asked him what these improvements are directing us towards and what lies behind the mountain of incremental changes we make. He shared that it seems we are moving towards a time where people come together ad hoc to collaborate on projects, being part of multiple projects simultaneously, making transitions between projects easier and more sustainable.
As humanity moves towards a paradigm shift, our relationship with ourselves and each other is being redefined. I believe the pyramidal structures we have built to run organizations are losing their meaning. Even within our team, I see our agreements becoming more flexible regarding location, time, and even role descriptions. I can't imagine my kids aspiring to become employees in a decade, with so many new available options emerging such as becoming an influencer or a freelancer. Additionally, corporations are becoming more vulnerable and susceptible to breaking or failing, rather than providing "safe havens or stability," because they cannot be as agile as small teams. Small teams, on the other hand, are becoming more empowered by technology.
When working on a project, who is my team? Is it those who work in our company? The capacity we hold under our company's roof is focused on delivering the critical parts that add meaning to what we do, but it rarely encompasses the whole capacity to deliver the complete picture. Whether we are leading a project or supporting one, we are most often collaborating with people outside our organization.
How do we define our people? Who do we create together with? Who do we celebrate together with?
I believe future generations will be more inspired to come together for clearly defined purposes, serve that purpose, and disband when complete, moving on to create new forms of collaboration when a new purpose calls. This type of collaboration is already embedded in our nature. How will today's corporations transition from their current organizational culture to this new model?
This is where Neol comes into the equation. Neol is a platform that enables organizations to "manage their entire network seamlessly, from in-house talent to global collaborators, on a single, AI-native platform designed for the future of work." It integrates your internal and external network, leveraging your entire talent resource and utilizes AI to help you create the most harmonious team to serve the purpose.
I have been paying attention to how creative studios have been designing transformational projects. I know one of the founders of Neol, Kerem. He and his partner Engin built Atolye, an exceptional design studio that integrated with the global creative industry and led many international collaboration projects. I trust Kerem's vision to create newness and his dedication to see it through. I believe designing tools for the future of work is a journey into uncharted territory, where many who venture into go amiss, and a certain level of instinctual knowing is needed to navigate in this realm.
I was very impressed to see that many global investors and VCs had seen this potential and determination before me.
Our intention in taking part in this promising startup is to support the efforts of redefining the future of work. Efforts that create new containers of collaboration set people free from the restrictions and boundaries of current models, allowing them to unleash their creative powers to manifest limitless potential.