re/designing business, using Nature’s playbook

STRATEGY + INNOVATION + TRANSFORMATION

using life centered design

biomimicry. ecology. ethics. systems.

The ‘natural capital’ bubble is 3x larger than the CO2 bubble (Stuchtey et al 2016).
HALF of global business GDP, US$44 trillion, relies on Nature (World Economic Forum 2020).
196 countries have signed the global biodiversity framework, committing governments, large companies and financial institutions to Nature-risk disclosures and action plans (COP15 2022).
the DISRUPTIVE IMPACT on balance sheets and P&Ls is now onstream as global markets rapidly price in Nature.
If we have a 20th century business model or mindset, this will negatively effect our i. growth potential, ii. access to markets, iii. access to capital, iv. regulatory compliance, v. supply costs, and vi. brand health.
But if we transform to Nature-positive business models, there is MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY. It could create US$10 trillion in GDP growth and 395 million new jobs by 2030 (WEF).
You don't have to wait for science-based target frameworks to take action. Many businesses are on the transformational pathway already. And they're not just winning, they're overturning the shape of global markets, and disrupting the rules of the global economy .
The opportunities to disrupt and win are abundant.
Or as Simon Sinek said in the Infinite Game “There's no such thing as winning or losing; only ahead and behind” .

Nature-positive sits alongside Climate. You don't just consider carbon emissions, but actively protect biodiversity, soil, water, land use, nutrient flows etc. as well.
But this is MORE than disclosure reporting or footprint management.
This is re/designing to have a positive, regenerative effect on the living systems you operate within, and depend upon. To create conditions for life to flourish.
This means your strategy, innovations and business model have to connect with the science of living systems.
Our research shows that life-centered design plays on not ONE but FOUR interdependent design axes of value:
1. Transforming to less-toxic, more renewable solutions (ECOLOGY)
2. Transforming to more ethical, equitable, dignified and autonomous solutions for people, communities, and other species (ETHICS)
3. Transforming to more circular systems that keep materials, energy, information and power in flow (SYSTEMS)
4. Transforming to unlock bio-potential, tapping into the genius of Nature’s R&D biotech toolkit (BIOMIMCRY)
(This last one is really cool.)

There is a 88%+ INNOVATION GAP between how biology designs and how humans design (Vincent and Mann 2011).
Our disruptive potential rests on not just how well we protect Nature, but how well we can emulate Nature.
Nature’s playbook is high value x high performance x high growth. Tried, tested and proven for the last 3.8 billion years. And it's open source R&D biotech genius, we can plug and play.
We just need to discard the old 20th century, human-centered, business design playbook (that enforces low value, high risk leverage points).
If we use Nature's playbook, we open up massive innovation and market-disrupting potential. And we play at the highest order of sustainability.
Right now bleeding edge businesses around the world are leveraging Nature’s genius. And reaping the rewards:
1. Multi-revenue stream, multi-market creating.
2. Demand-led B2B and B2C growth.
3. Scalable.
4. De-risked.
5. Lower costs
6. More profitable.
What we really really love is that in Nature's playbook, leverage is abundant. Not in some Pollyanna world view kind of way, but as a deep design principle. And it’s way more fun!
Not just Nature-positive, but Nature-played.
Welcome to the bright side.

not just Nature positive. but Nature played.

There are two Nature games we can play. A small game of governance. Or a big game that unlocks massive growth opportunity. We help you play the big game. Where businesses are winning.

We believe strategy connected to the science of life unlocks unparalleled growth opportunity. We believe innovation that respects and leverages the high performance, high tech, 3.8 billion year old R&D library of Nature is the key.

Stop playing like a machine. Start playing like Nature.

The #1 barrier* stopping us play the big game is our ability to sense, seize, and scale value potential (called our ‘dynamic capabilities’).
Living systems design is a 180° flip on human-centered design thinking. It requires a different lens, different logic, and different leverage points.
Our BQ Diagnostic helps you work out where your leadership capability and organizational practice is currently at.
But as a quick-fire rule of thumb, the more times you answer YES to the following 7 questions, the more exposed to risk you are:
1. Your approach to INNOVATION is "faster, better, newer".
2. Your approach to STRATEGY is chasing unfair competitive advantage.
3. Your approach to ADAPTATION is Agile and product-market fit.
4. Your approach to TRANSFORMATION is digitization.
5. Your approach to FUTURE TECH thinking is AI automation.
6. Your approach to NATURE is footprint reduction, compliance disclosures, carbon calculations, BCorp creds, SDG or ESG tick boxes.
7. Your BUSINESS MODEL depends on zero-sum leverage points (extraction, exploitation, data scraping, restricted access, price arbitrage....).