How small businesses can create real-world utopias
An enterprising team in Monterrey, Mexico and I founded Telos Labs to create better jobs in Mexico and support meaningful social causes through excellent software.
Thus far this has spanned financial technology products that help develop good savings habits, healthcare applications to help patients manage their disease with their physician, as well as training platforms used by universities and businesses to promote more inclusive and healthy cultures.
Now that we have succeeded with many projects, and had our share of hiccups along the way, I write these words as a reflection of who we are, why we do what we do, and who we would like to welcome into our team.
Key elements of our world-view:
We are definite optimists. We see specific problems with society and believe there are ways to make progress on these problems.
Broadly, the problems we have in mind relate to an exaggerated focus on money and consumption, as well as a disregard of real value, like time, health, relationships, knowledge and wisdom, and nature broadly. In The Patterning Instinct, Jeremy Lent has written an amazing book documenting just how the cognitive systems that produced these problems emerged.
A careful study of the roots of the ideas that captivate our economic culture, as well as work experience in large corporations, startups and small businesses has led us to conclude the following:
- The world can be a much better place
- Society is caught in the grip of false progress
- Real progress is the answer, and still possible.
How we make a difference:
Rather than despairing or accepting business as usual, we believe that there are specific ways that even a small company can succeed financially and yet still create and live a real-world utopia.
This entails working with different objectives in mind and doing the work differently. Thus, we focus on creating socially responsible technologies that magnify social impact. And we do it by ourselves creating a work culture and workplace that is enlightened by the principles we wish to uphold.
What next?
We are hiring in our Monterrey offices, focused on creating an amazing culture of talented individuals, building our skills, and designing and implementing technologies for the common good.
If you also have been struck by the vast challenges facing our societies, and wish to craft and cultivate your talents and ingenuity in the service of a better tomorrow, please reach out at hello@teloslabs.co
