The future is unpredictable
In 2015, the authors of Responsive.org wrote that “the future is becoming increasingly difficult to predict.” Today, with global instability, political partisanship, and a more rapid rate of change than ever before in human history, those words feel prescient.
The tension between organizations optimized for predictability and the unpredictable world we live in has reached a breaking point. Only organizations that adapt to this ever-changing world will survive.
We structure organizations the same way we did in decades and centuries past – built for a time when predictability mattered more than speed of execution.
I’ve had anything but a conventional career path. Across more than two dozen different industries – from circus acrobat to self-taught restaurateur – I’ve witnessed the same bureaucratic practices; the same good people stuck in outdated systems.
And nowhere is that unpredictability more obvious than in live events.
A few small fires
Responsive Conference 2025 is next week. There have been a few small fires: a team member is in the hospital, a keynote speaker asking to change their call time, and nametags scheduled to arrive a week late.
A friend asked me recently if I was going to propose to my girlfriend on stage at the conference. My answer was – quite obviously – no. And not just because she wouldn’t want that kind of public attention.
Events are an act of service. Great events exist for their attendees, speakers – and only then for the organizing team. To take the spotlight with an engagement proposal defeats the purpose of producing an event. It takes the focus off of them and their experience. When the organizer takes up too much space, they undermine the service the event provides to the community.
The utility of community
On September 16th, the day before Responsive, my friend Jenny is producing the Conference for Conferences, a 1-day event about how to run more immersive and experiential events.
Then, Responsive Conference, which I often describe as a three-ring circus that we always design as an experiment in the very principles we gather to discuss.
Within the curation of Responsive Conference, too, there are sessions that address the intersection of community, change, and AI.
Suzy Welch, PhD is the creator of Becoming You, a popular NYU Stern course and book that helps individuals reinvent their careers. I’ll be interviewing her, alongside startup operator-turned-consultant Shelby Wolpa, about career reinvention.
Jesse Freese is the founder of a 2000-person community called StartupExperts which brings together HR, Operations, and Finance startup leaders. He will be sitting down with Marcus Sawyerr, who runs EQ, a network of executives, to discuss the role of community and how successful leaders leverage collective intelligence to keep pace with change.
Events are a competitive advantage
Running events is a logistical nightmare. From a team member in the hospital to last-minute schedule changes, there is always another fire! The work of producing events – selling tickets, organizing people, managing ambiguity – is largely thankless work. As with any good performance, you only notice when things go poorly.
But the community, trust, and a shared understanding that events create are priceless. In 2016, my producer and a speaker met and got married. I’ve been told “That moment at Responsive Conference changed my life…” dozens of times. Events aren’t just about gathering people — they’re about creating containers where community, trust, and possibility emerge. They create reference points people carry forward.
And running events creates leverage for the organizer. You become the community builder – the person people look to. They build trust much more quickly than singular conversations can.
The thankless work isn't, in fact, thankless after all. In an age where AI makes everything faster, it’s messy, unpredictable human experiences that give us an edge.
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3 things I’ve loved this week
Political scientist I’m reading
Barbara F. Walter on How Civil Wars Start
I first discovered Barbara F. Walter on the Prof. G Podcast, but then dug into her substack and books. Walter is a political scientist at UC San Diego who has researched and written about civil wars, including why they start, how they escalate, and how they can be prevented.
This conversation is a good place to start, and this article on This Isn't MAGA's Reichstag Moment, Yet, makes the case that we aren’t in the moment of crisis that determines the fate of our democracy, yet – but that it is coming before 2028.
Tool I’m using
Zelus Weighted Vest
I’ve been experimenting with weight vests for the last few years. Unlike the 50 lb vests that look like and feel like armor, this vest is designed for running.
So far, I’ve bought two: a 6-pound vest for my mother’s daily walks and a 12-pound vest that I run in every day.
Whether trying to outrun the stress of event production or the state of the world, running with weight is a great balm.
Quote I’m pondering
“The most difficult work, he has always believed, ought to evoke fear.”
From 1 Writing Class, 35 Years, 113 Deals, 95 Books, an essay in the New York Times about Columbia Journalism School professor, Sam Freedman.
Here’s the blurb: For three decades at Columbia Journalism School, Sam Freedman has encouraged students to try long-form narratives. His brand of tough love has paid dividends.
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When you're ready, here's how I can help
I've begun teaching a cohort-driven course about sales. This is a new approach to selling for people who aren't quite comfortable - yet. If you're interested, join the waitlist here.
Everyone has a story. At Zander Media, we help startups and global brands clarify their message and make videos that change people.
Responsive: What It Takes to Create a Thriving Organization is a book for any startup founder or enterprise change lead who wants to improve their organization. And if you want to learn to do a handstand, check out How to Do a Handstand.
Responsive Conference is an annual summit that brings together 300 executives, founders, and entrepreneurs who want to make work better. Join us this September and equip your team to respond to change!
Until next week,
Robin
