Building Resilience, One Good Idea at a Time

A Vision for Resilient Tomorrow

Systems break in predictable ways. I've spent over two decades watching it happen - from billion-dollar tech launches at Microsoft to startups racing against time. My career has centered on one crucial skill: understanding how things fall apart, and building solutions to make them stronger.

It started with development processes – analyzing how teams build software and hardware, identifying where communication breaks down, where handoffs fail, and where quality gets compromised. I learned that even the most well-planned development cycles often collapse not from major disasters, but from small, overlooked inefficiencies in process and communication.

But somewhere along the way, I started noticing these same patterns everywhere. In our food systems, where a single disruption can empty grocery shelves across the country. In our power grids, where increasing demands meet aging infrastructure. In our communities, where political divisions slice through decades-old relationships. The systems we depend on – the ones that keep our modern world running – are showing cracks.

Here's the thing, and you've probably noticed it too: once you see systemic problems, you can't unsee them. Throughout my career, my role has been to identify these problems, present potential solutions, choose the best fit for the circumstances, measure the results, and iterate until the system works optimally. It's a process of continuous improvement, guided by real-world feedback.

That's why I'm starting Resilient Tomorrow. Not because I have all the answers, but because I believe we need to start working together to improve the systems we depend on. We need to explore solutions like building supportive local communities, reducing our dependence on distant food sources, and using technology to enhance our connection with nature rather than replace it. We need to find ways to generate our own power, ensuring the technology that enriches our lives remains reliable and sustainable.

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The Current Moment

We're all living through an unprecedented moment in history – not just one major shift, but multiple transformations happening simultaneously. Artificial Intelligence is redefining what's possible, while quantum physics is challenging our understanding of reality itself. Our financial systems are being disrupted by new technologies, while our social fabric strains under increasing polarization. These aren't isolated changes; they're interconnected shifts that are forcing us to reconsider how we live, work, and relate to one another.

But perhaps the most telling sign of impending change is something I observe in almost every home I visit: people spending significant amounts of time managing their possessions. Think about that for a moment. In my own life, I spend roughly 15 hours each month just organizing, cleaning, and deciding what to do with my stuff. That's nearly two full workdays every month, not creating, not connecting, not growing – just managing the weight of consumption. And I'm not alone – conversations with friends and neighbors reveal similar struggles with the burden of excess.

We've reached what I call a point of maximum consumption, where the cost of maintaining what we own begins to outweigh its utility. The irony isn't lost on me: we've built systems so efficient at delivering goods that we're now drowning in their abundance.

And here's where it gets interesting: I'm noticing a pendulum swing. People are starting to question not just what they own, but what they value. They're recognizing the difference between money and true wealth – between having resources and having access to resources, between accumulating things and building connections.

This swing isn't just about minimalism or sustainability, though those are part of it. It's about something deeper: a recognition that our current systems, built on endless extraction and consumption, are reaching their natural limits. But within this challenge lies an extraordinary opportunity.

Just as a dormant seed requires specific conditions to sprout and grow, this moment of systemic stress creates an opening for something new to emerge. The question isn't whether change is coming – it's already here. The question is: how do we shape it?

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Personal Journey

I'll be honest: I spent most of my career chasing the wrong kind of wealth. Despite my expertise in analyzing systems, I was caught in one of the oldest traps – believing that once I achieved a certain income, a certain bank balance, everything else would fall into place. I put other aspirations on hold, convinced that money had to come first.

Airpusher Art Car, Burning Man 2015 (Photographer Unknown)

My wake-up call came in an unexpected place: Burning Man, 2015. As a Captain on the Airpusher Art Car, I was leading a volunteer crew in overhauling our 'ship,' adding an inflatable balloon to transform it into something extraordinary. What I experienced there completely redefined my understanding of wealth. Without money changing hands, I found myself surrounded by a community that anticipated needs, shared resources, and worked together toward a common vision. When I needed food, it appeared. When I needed rest, someone stepped in. When I needed encouragement, it was there.

We created something magnificent – so much so that it became an iconic piece of Burning Man, even gracing their promotional materials years later. But the real value wasn't in what we built; it was in what I learned about true wealth. Wealth isn't just what you have – it's what you can access through community. It's not just what you know – it's who you can learn from. It's not just what you can get – it's what you can give.

This realization forced me to confront some uncomfortable truths. I had spent years trying to follow others' paths to success, often feeling like an impostor, chasing metrics that didn't align with my values. I had even started businesses that, while aimed at helping others, were still structured around traditional models of value extraction rather than creation.

But here's what I've learned: our current system primarily rewards extraction – from our resources, our communities, our attention, our planet. We see it everywhere: in stagnant wages despite soaring corporate profits, in social media platforms that harvest our attention and data, in business models that prioritize quarterly returns over long-term sustainability. Even when something valuable is created, the system is optimized to extract as much as possible, funneling that value to a peak instead of ensuring equitable distribution.

The irony is that we live in an abundant world. The game of scarcity we're playing is just that – a game. And it's one we can choose to stop playing.

That's why I'm here now, starting this journey with you. Not because I have it all figured out – far from it. But because I believe that by sharing good ideas, by building stronger communities, by choosing creation over extraction, we can build something better. Something more resilient.

Vision for Resilient Tomorrow

So what does building something better actually look like? At Resilient Tomorrow, we're focused on creating a future that embraces technology without sacrificing our connection to nature or each other – what some call a 'solarpunk' vision. It's a future where our innovations serve our communities rather than extract from them, where our systems bend rather than break, and where good ideas are shared freely.

This isn't about preparing for disaster or disconnecting from society. It's about building stronger, more sustainable systems right where we are – in our urban and suburban neighborhoods, in our local communities, in our daily lives. It's about recognizing the fragile systems we depend on and thoughtfully reducing those dependencies, one step at a time.

• Creating neighborhood tool libraries instead of everyone owning rarely-used equipment

• Creating garden networks that connect home growers and community spaces, sharing knowledge and produce across neighborhoods

• Designing home automation systems that increase independence rather than dependency

• Developing local skill-sharing networks that make everyone stronger

• Finding ways to turn our "waste" into resources

• Exploring energy harvesting systems to reduce grid dependency while maintaining modern comforts

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Each of these is what I call a "good idea" – a practical step that moves us toward a more resilient future. Some ideas will be simple, others more complex, but each builds upon the last, creating systems that grow stronger with use rather than weaker.

The beauty of this approach is that it works at any scale. You might start by growing herbs in your window, then expand to a small garden, then connect with other gardeners in your neighborhood. Each step builds capacity, confidence, and community. Each connection creates new possibilities, while reducing our dependence on systems outside our control.

Remember that systems analysis background I mentioned? This is where it becomes crucial. By understanding how systems work – and how they fail – we can build better ones. We can identify where our current systems are most vulnerable and develop practical alternatives. We can create redundancy without waste, efficiency without fragility, abundance without excess.

But perhaps most importantly, we can do this together. Because the strongest systems aren't built in isolation – they're built through connection, collaboration, and community.

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Join the Journey

Building a resilient tomorrow isn't something any one person can do alone. It's not about having all the answers – it's about asking better questions and sharing good ideas. That's why I'm starting this journey in public, inviting you to join me as we explore practical steps toward a more sustainable future.

Each week, we'll explore a good idea that can help make our lives and communities more resilient. Some ideas will come from my systems analysis background, others from historical practices that deserve a fresh look, and many – hopefully – from you, the community we're building here. I'll also share my own journey of implementing these ideas, documenting both successes and setbacks, and offering honest reflections on what I would do differently. We'll revisit these implementations over time, examining their effectiveness and evolution, while identifying and developing tools and resources that could make these processes more accessible to everyone. Most importantly, we'll work on creating networks of local networks – connecting communities that are sharing information, resources, and lessons learned, making us all stronger together.

Because here's what I know for certain: good ideas can come from anywhere. Whether you're just starting to think about resilience or you've been building sustainable systems for years, your perspective matters. Your experiences, your challenges, your solutions – they're all part of the conversation we need to have.

This isn't about reaching some perfect end state. It's about taking steps, however small, toward a future worth building. It's about recognizing that while our current systems may be showing their fragility, we have the power – collectively – to build better ones.

📝 Share your good ideas in the comments
🤔 Tell us what challenges you're facing
🌱 Let us know what topics you'd like to explore
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Together, we can build something remarkable: not just more resilient systems, but more connected communities. Not just sustainable practices, but a sustainable future. One good idea at a time.

Ready to begin?

About the Author: Mike Jones

With over two decades of experience spanning tech giants and startups, I've built my career on understanding how systems work – and why they sometimes don't. As a Director of Central Services and Principal Technical Program Manager at companies like Microsoft and Verizon, I specialized in identifying systemic vulnerabilities and building more resilient processes.

My entrepreneurial journey includes co-founding three companies, each aimed at solving different systemic challenges. I launched a web3 gaming startup with the mission of democratizing game development, putting power back in the hands of creators and players. I also co-founded a floatation center, creating a space where community members could disconnect, recover, and rediscover what matters most to them.

One of my proudest achievements came from outside the corporate world, as an inaugural member and captain of the Burning Man camp Airpusher. There, I learned the art of inspiring volunteers to collaborate toward a shared vision, culminating in the creation of an iconic art car that became a symbol of what dedicated communities can achieve together.

Throughout these diverse experiences, I've developed a unique perspective on building resilient systems, whether they're technical infrastructures, business processes, or communities. At Resilient Tomorrow, I'm combining this expertise with my passion for sustainable living to share practical ideas for creating more robust, self-reliant lives and communities.

I believe the path to a more sustainable future isn't through fear or isolation, but through practical steps and stronger communities. Join me as we explore good ideas for building resilience, one step at a time.