These are notes on an as-yet-unformulated pitch that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since a pivotal conversation with a prominent thinker in the Climate VC space…
The Pascal Project (working title), is a global media technology brand that distributes video, audio and interactive content with native brand integration from a science fictive parallel dimension; one where human civilization transforms to meet the challenge of the future with grace.
It’s the best of us… story points that become the ellipsis between now and Star Trek.
There is a trade journal called “Lift” in Colson Whitehead’s novel The Intuitionist, which imagines a culture built around the technological marvel of the elevator as a symbol for human progress.
Hypothetical: an allegorical trade journal is founded now, and carries us from this dispirited cultural moment through to the transformation of humanity to a stable, peaceful, tolerant, equitable space faring civilization.
What would such a journal look like? How would it be distributed?
What if the journal is intended for the globally young at heart who are looking to find their place in a depopulating planet of benevolent nomads who seek meaning, contribution, identity, belonging, in a civilization that looks like what our best possible hopes for it could be.
What if the idea is a drumbeat style voice or presence, like CNBC, Bloomberg or but the theme is civilizational transformation? The evolution of global capital toward profit seeking in alignment with sustainability and inclusion. The most sky-high, dastardly form of optimism that would require deep historical precedent to rival.
Not speculation, though. From the sulfurous cinders of WAGMI Crypto, we channel Charlie Munger, who re-encoded Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac. When his partner Warren Buffet was asked why few people follow his long term value investment strategy he replied: “not many people want to get rich slow.” Perhaps. Or perhaps we are redefining wealth.
How does The Pascal Project generate revenue and profit?
Revenue: ad supported, with brand integration, carriage fees from bundled distribution, live events
Profit: spending less on production then we make by the above. Level new models of remote production, generative audio and video and AI.
Ads are part of the experience. Each ad is an insulin spike of possibility, an opportunity to learn, to join, or to invest.
Brand integrations are organic because the brands themselves, and the people who are the fabric of the brands, are the story.
The Project could build awareness for an educational marketplace, re-skilling for a transforming economy, and drive affiliate sales for consumer products.
As a voice, the Project is the presence of an intelligent friend, a fopish optimist, who is singing the praises of the beauty of humanity, and backing it up with outcomes, as a voice in your life that could be always on. Or, at least, a wonderful compliment to the experience of being alive, and a terrific contrast from the storytelling we are subject to.
Finance / Investment / ESG
Climate Tech
Sustainability
Humans
Culture
Broadcast from the world where we figure it out.
What you focus on grows.
Maybe no one would care. Maybe the optimism will be proven wrong. Either or both could happen.
If so, we return to the game theoretic of Pascal’s Wager; in a question of belief, when you must choose sides, choose optimism. The daily experience is better, and if you are ultimately wrong, it’s too late anyway. However, if you are right, you have reaped the immortal benefit of salvation.
Below this point are deeply incoherent notes:
Yeah, ok. So What is it?
Hey, great question.
Decision theoretic
decision theory
What if the solution to climate change is rooted in decision theory?
We are incapable of knowing whether we will solve climate change, in terms evolving our way of being to engender a series of positive outcomes.
But, we have to make a bet.
There is an infinite chaos which separated us. A game is being played at the extremity of this infinite distance where heads or tails will turn up… Which will you choose then?
If you gain, you gain all. If you lose, you lose nothing.
Actually, some people really strongly believe they will lose something.
Maybe we are overrelying on this idea.
What is the thing?
The thing is a video channel that focuses on people who are taking a positive, action oriented response to the challenges of our day: climate and opportunity.
Why would someone watch this:
A. It would feel good. You would feel connected to the drum beat of a world that is reacting to challenges in the way that in our best heart of hearts, in our most pure of intentions and expectations, you would think people would respond.
Like, what if the Ministry for the Future was real. Actually, let’s just presume the Ministry for the Future is real.
Let’s presume…
Let’s presume. You could lost there for a second thinking about, what? Oh, that you are a good person to lead such a thing.
Kind of interesting that a Pascal is a unit of pressure.
So, again, what is it? That’s pretty simple.
It is a video channel. It is a media brand.
A media brand. Distribution on YT, TT, Socials. It covers the transformation of our culture to sustainability.
It covers the transformation of civilization
The intergenerational transformation of human civilization from to a sustainable permaculture.
Why doesn’t an existing media outlet, like Vice, just open a vertical and eat your lunch? Couldn’t Vox just eat this up, or compete it?
What is the business model here?
I think there is an element of… of business news and information… like, what? Bloomberg? Couldn’t Bloomberg just eat this up?
Well, what if they did?
It wouldn’t be terrible if you launched something, a brand, and it was purchased by one of these beings?
No, that wouldn’t be terrible.
What is the voice?
It’s not about opinions, or hot buttons, or the general f’n insufferable conversation of who’s right and wrong, up or down, in the media sphere.
It is about what people, companies, tools, technology and culture are rising to meet the challenge of civilizational transformation.
Apolitical in the sense that not drumbeat coverage of electoral politics, horserace and click chasing.
This tool is ad supported. There is a subscription tier
How is this interactive?
That’s a great question.
What does that even mean in this context?
It’s interactive in that you can… can you? Robinhood you way into backing these ventures?
Does Vestas even want to be backed by YT style viewership?
Yeah. No. Probably not.
So what is it?
It is the voice of optimism in the people, companies, technologies and culture that are rising to face the challenge of civilizational transformation.
We are making a bet. We are betting on overcoming the challenge of civilizational transformation. We are standing on the shore of the ocean, looking across the universe, feeling the invitation to evolve.
We don’t know what beings we will become, but we are putting a bet on compassion, empathy, and love as the transformational tools that will guide us to the stars.
This is out and out crazy talk.
That’s ok.
Who should believe you?
Start with yourself.
If there was a news outlet in a science fiction story.. not news, no… if there was a trade journal in an arts and craft utopian science fiction world. Let it all come out brother. Don’t be afriad.
I think you are finding it.
It’s so crazy.
Why Pascal? The 1600’s sort of represent the right time. 1400’s. Florence.
Rumors of a far off world, where salvation awaits.
Let’s learn from history, bring to bear what we know, including a new sensibility about the scourge of colonization, slavery, and destruction of the commons for the agglomoration of individual wealth.
Yes, but we haven’t learned those lessons yet. Not all of them.
We are annointing billionaires, some are swimming in money from economic exploitation and fossil fuel extraction.
So is all of this garbage? Hold on… the Renaissance took place in the presence of aristocracy and royalty and horrible exploitation.
So what is it that you hold on to?
Ah, to the possibility of transformation. The possibility of becoming.
This is what we hold out hope for.
So what is this thing? Is it like Janelle’s breakthrough message?
Yes, it could be like that.
This is not news. It is storytelling. A science fiction trade journal. The possibility of becoming.
Yeah, so what is all that?
This is a challenge, and you are in it right now. In the Einstein Space.
So what is it?
It is a media brand. The brand is: trade journal from a sci-fiction near reality. Like “Lift.” An industry journal, but the journal is about transformations from 1 > 0.
Transformation. There is a tone in Whitehead’s book… Intuitionist… to capture, sort of. There is a Starship Troopers like tone, too.
It’s almost like this is real… but is it?
The transformationist.
It holds an economic piece, too. What is that?
Jim is right. This is the greatest economic transformation since digitization. We dematerialized information. We have a whole set of transformations to enact. We have to rebuild our entire civilization, and this will be done inclusively.
Some people will get very rich. They already are. That’s ok.
Anyway. It’s branded. Branded content. It’s for investors. It’s super smart. It’s beautiful. Unreal engine as a graphics tool. Generative media.
We are building an AI corpus. That’s a fun idea. Memory tool.
CNBC for a parallel utopian universe where the best of our potential flourishes.
Ad supported / branded / integtations.
Transformation:
Banking, finance and investing. ESG.
Climate Tech.
Sustainability.
Human Rights and expression.
This thing is the drumbeat of a science-fictive parallel universe where we transform our civilization
OK, start from the beginning. What is this thing?
The Pascal Project (working title), is a global media technology brand that distributes video, audio and interactive content with native brand integration from a science fictive parallel dimension; where human civilization transforms to meet the challenge of the future with grace.