swarms
Decentralization: Promise-Keeping
The swarm has a rational, achievable, measurable goal.
A plausible promise is not a lofty vision. Visions fire the imagination but usually are not directly achievable within a reasonable amount of time. A lofty vision might be “eradicating all disease from the world.”
A plausible promise arises out of a vision. The promise is possible, measurable, and actionable. There may be many such promises on the way to the vision. An example might be, “Eradicate polio from India.” Promises must be compelling (what draws us together) and compatible (what holds us together).
A promise is plausible if it is achievable. Could we, without miracles and with realistic resources, fulfill the promise? This does not negate the work of God or of a cultural movement—but that is part of the “lofty vision” rather than the “plausible promise.” The promise should require a long but reasonable period of time on the order of a year, years, or decades. It takes some friends, some hard work, and some time to keep a promise. Some examples would include the Human Genome Project and the effort to put a man on the moon.
A promise is plausible if it is measurable. You can tell if actions are being taken, and you can know when the promise has been fulfilled. For example, if a plausible promise is “to teach 50% of the children of the city to read,” then you can measure the promise by knowing (1) how many children are in the city and (2) how many are being taught over a given time (monthly or yearly) and (3) when the promise will be completed and (4) whether it is being completed fast enough.
A promise is plausible if it is doable. A promise without action is dead. You can do something directly to bring the promise to pass. In the case of the promise to teach children to read, you can recruit teachers and get them teaching the children.
Sometimes a promise is made plausible by being attached to a “first draft” of a product that will help fulfill the promise. That “first draft” may be very poor—yet if it demonstrates the possibility that the promise could be fulfilled, then it can attract people.
The plausibility of the promise is the primary draw for people to participate. If no one believes the promise can really be kept, then no one will want to be involved. A truly plausible promise, communicated, will be both the measure by which you determine your progress and the vision that will draw other people to join your swarm. You can’t build this kind of swarm without it.
Ada gula ada semut. Where sugar, there ants.
People are attracted to what interests them.
Indonesian proverb
When you start community-building, what you need to be able to present is a plausible promise. Your program doesn’t have to work particularly well. … What it must not fail to do is convince potential co-developers it can be evolved into something really neat …
Eric S. Raymond, the Cathedral and the Bazaar
All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.
T.E. Lawrence
Case Studies
• The International Campaign to Ban Landmines: to remove landmines from the military inventories of the world
• Linux: to provide an alternative free computer operating system
• US DARPA: “to accelerate the future into being,” unites numerous external researchers into a common goal.
• John Woolman: to abolish slavery.
Key readings
When beggars become choosers, Kaspar Edwards, Firstmonday.org… 5:10, tinyurl.com…
Question to Ask
• What is your lofty vision, your overarching goal or dream?
• What plausible promise will move you closer to your vision?
• How is the promise measurable? What “Measurable Milestones” will let you know when the promise is met?
• What specific actions can you take this week or this month?
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[...] simplest way to do this, I think, is to identify what your “plausible promise” is, and then to begin identifying ways in which you can keep it now. Part of keeping it is [...]