The Research
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The ‘natural capital’ bubble is 3x larger than the CO2 bubble (Stuchtey et al 2016) and half of global business GDP, US$44 trillion, relies on Nature (World Economic Forum 2020).
190 countries have signed the global biodiversity framework, committing governments, large companies and financial institutions to Nature-risk disclosures and action plans (COP15 2022).
Global markets are now rapidly pricing in Nature's material costs.
the DISRUPTIVE IMPACT on balance sheets and P&Ls is now onstream.
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).
Many businesses right now aren't waiting for science based target frameworks to take action. They're already on the transformational pathway. They're not just winning, they're overturning the shape of global markets, and disrupting the rules of the global economy .
If we rapidly connect our strategy, innovation and tech to the science of life, we can disrupt and win.
Or as Simon Sinek said in the Infinite Game “There's no such thing as winning or losing; only ahead and behind” .
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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 reducing your footprint. This is MORE than compliance reporting. You aim to create a positive, regenerative effect on the living systems your business operates within, and depends upon. You aim 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 there are not one but FOUR design axes of value you need to consider when re/designing your strategy, innovation and business model.
Each one helps you see, unlock and leverage the deep patterns of how Nature works:
Transforming to cleaner, more renewable, non-toxic solutions (ECOLOGY)
Shifting to more ethical, equitable, dignified and autonomous solutions for people, communities, and other species (ETHICS)
Shifting to more circular systems that keep materials, energy and information in flow (SYSTEMS)
Transforming to unlock our full bio-potential, tapping into the genius of Nature’s R&D biotech toolkit (BIOMIMCRY)
(This last one is really cool.)
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We can go ONE STEP FURTHER. Not just protect Nature. But emulate Nature.
There is a 88%+ INNOVATION GAP between how biology designs and how humans design (Vincent and Mann 2011).
Nature’s playbook is high value, high performance, 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.
When we discard the old business human-centered design playbook (that enforces low value, high risk leverage points), and use Nature's playbook instead, 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.
Multi-revenue stream creating.
Demand-led B2B and B2C growth.
Scalable.
De-risked.
Lower costs
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.
The t.METHOD is a process Melissa has refined over the years as a business transformation specialist. Over lock downs Melissa took it one step further.
She went deep into research, analyzing and curating 100 years of regenerative living-system thinking. She then synthesized and cross-calibrated this with a disruptive business design lens, and wove the pieces together into a framework for easy application into strategy, innovation and business model re/design.
1.
Regenerative Contextual Research
102 years. 20 schools of principles.
1.1 PATTERN ANALYSIS
Theme reoccurrence within and across all thinking schools. Calibrated.
1.2 RELATIONSHIPS
Interdependencies. Cause and effect. Causal Loops. Hierarchy and scale. Outcome and drivers.
1.3 LENS + DIMENSIONS
Relationship to materiality, form, energy, place, scale, time/change, self, others. INSIGHT | role of ethics
2.
Synthesize for Application - Strategy
50 years. 9 schools of principles.
2.1 FILTER + CALIBRATE
Business transformation lens. Business value / chain lens. NPV + LTV lens.
2.2 VALUE MAPPING
Using i. design thinking lens, ii. systems disruption lens. INSIGHT | not 1 but 4 dimensions of value, all in relationship interdependently
2.3 CORE COMPONENTS
t.METHOD sequenced canvas + compass + toolkit (questions + visual models). Beta test with existing + start up clients.
3.
Synthesize for Application - Disruption
25 years. 8 schools of principles.
3.1 MSc BIOMIMICRY (US)
Deep dive on chemistry, physics and biology of how Nature designs + leverages tension
3.2 CASE STUDY LIBRARY
Curate cutting-edge global biomimicry, living systems-led market disrupting case studies,
3.3 SEQUENCE PATHWAY
Distil into transformation pathway. 4 core steps + levers for change. What NOT to do. WHAT to do. HOW to do it.
4. Further attribution
Woven into Melissa’s curation journey is also thinking from other regenerative disruptive pioneers.
Melissa’s book shelf
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Donella Meadows - environmental scientist and systems thinker. Author of Limits to Growth 1972, and levers of systems disruption.
Buckminster Fuller - systems disruptor, designer, environmentalist and futurist.
Nicolas Bouleau - mathematician, philosopher, and writer of market rorts
Peter Senge - systems scientist applied to business
Bill Sharpe - system futurist + emergence
Tony Seba, - systems disruptor, futurist and emerging tech.
Martin Stuchtey, Per-Anders Enkvist and Klaus Zumwinkel - regenerativevalue thinkers in business potential of regenerative disruption
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Tom and David Kelley - founders of IDEO who spearheaded Design Thinking and human-centered design.
Steve Blank - customer development method
Alex Osterwalder - creator of business model canvas and Ash Maurya who extended it further with his Lean Canvas model.
Larry Keeley and the Doblin crew behind Ten Types of Innovation.
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Walter Stahel - Circular economy + lifecycle extension thinking and performance economy.
Michael Braungart and William McDonough - Cradle to Cradle + Lifecycle Redesign, the harbinger of Lifecycle Analysis
Dame Ellen MacArthur - circular economy and innovation.
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John Mackey, John Elkington, Carol Sanford, and Bill Reed - leading thinkers in regenerative business
Paul Anastas, Julie Zimmerman and John C.Warner, creators of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering principles.
Kate Raworth, Mariana Mazzucato, John Fullerton and E.F. Schumacher - regenerative disruptive economists
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Braden Allenby and William Cooper - ecologists who translated ecological succession principles into market business assessment tools
Vandana Shiva, and Nicole Masters - soil ecologists and Paul Stamets - mycologist - regenerative agri practitioners and thinkers
The environmental pioneers Rachel Carson, James Lovelock, J. I. Rodale, Bill Mollison and David Suzuki on whose backs so much of the environmental and regenerative movement has rested on, leaning on indigenous wisdom, and modelling a new way.
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Janine Benyus and Dr Dayna Baumeister, the trailblazing pioneers of the Biomimicry movement.
The reason Melissa undertook her MSc in Biomimicry
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Melanie and Malcolm Rands, permaculture founders of ecostore, who introduced Melissa to regenerative cradle-to-cradle principles and the precautionary principle as lived business practices. And how to harness heart-led intuition to overturn market system rorts by reshaping living systems.
Alex Snary and the incredible field teams of World Vision, who showed Melissa first hand what regenerative systems-based design looks like on the ground, in the extreme coal face, regenerating remote global communities from the dust of abject vulnerability.
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini. My strength is not mine alone, it rises from the work of many.
Why does this matter?
Because as global markets price in the materiality of the living world, there isn’t just huge risk. There’s huge opportunity.
DIAGNOSE . DISCOVER . DESIGN . DECIDE . DEPLOY differently
living systems design gives you the new playbook.
See our t.Programs.
Te Whāriki Kia Mohio Ai Tātao Ki A Tātao
E kore e taea e te whenu kotahi ki te raranga i te whāriki kia mōhio ai tātou ki a tātou.
Mā te mahi tahi o ngā whenu, mā te mahi tahi o ngā kairaranga, ka oti tēnei whāriki.
I te otinga me titiro tātao ki ngā mea pai ka puta mai,
ā tana wā, me titiro hoki ki ngā raranga i makere nā te mea, he kōrero anō kei reira.
— Kukupa Tirikatene, gifted by Cherie Tirikatene
The Tapestry of Understanding
The tapestry of understanding cannot be woven by one strand alone.
Only by the working together of weavers will such a tapestry be completed.
When it is complete, let us look at the good that comes from it,
And in time we should also look at those dropped stitches because they also have a message.
— English translation