earthshot projects
these are coaching highlights in tks activate to understand why big problems that were solvable for the last 5+ years still exist today, while trying to solve them tomorrow.
tl'dr
why do we need earthshots?
- the limit of global progress is the ambition of the most ambitious. this is training for the most ambitious of the next generation to think big.
- we are in the age of earthshots, where we need bold ideas for big problems to improve quality of life for millions of people.
as moonshots make a 10x better future, earthshots are multiplers for a better present.
- the three parts of an earthshot are understanding a big problem, a scalable solution, and economic incentives
in my role as program director and coach
- i managed 18 teams in a two person team with @brandonjennings during a 6+ week sprint for creating hypotheses to create a 10x better future
- i designed + delivered six 3 hour sessions on problem identification, root cause analysis, gap analysis, economic incentives, and case studies
- i gave 100+ hours of feedback and team coaching
featured projects
check out final presentations from the top teams
teaching 100M+ children how to enjoy the process of learning to read and write in augmented reality.
helping employ 100,000 ukranian refugees with a centralized background check and accelerated language training.
- team: sriya, manasi
- content: project updates
instant micronutrient testing with microfluidic biosensors, reducing cost from $10M to $250k for national samples
- team: ashley, isabelle, liesl
- content: project updates
lab grown cotton aims to use 80% less water per kg of crop than land based alternatives and is 12x faster to grow.
- team: sofi
- content: website
- featured: earthshots of mexico, new harvest, finalist for 776 climate fellowship
ending child mortality from pneumonia by scaling mobile vaccine clinics to increase accessibility of the PCV 13 vaccines.
- team: richa, manroop
- content: project updates
- featured: partnering with bill + melinda gates funded vaccine on wheels for first pilot
accelerating flow state battery ion-exchange membrane material discovery using machine learning
- team: aneka
- content: pitch
- featured: finalist masason foundation
accelerating the development of a non-hormonal male contraceptive pill using machine learning for drug repurposing.
- team: sim, diba
- content: project updates
- featured: 1517 fund, partnership with cornell university, and male contreceptive iniative
improving biofuel efficiency in the fermentation process by developing synthetic purine riboswitches in bacteria.
- team: aditya, karthik
- content: memo
what success looks like
1. earthshot idea: it’s ambitious as it aims to solve a large important problem or enables an interesting, impactful future. it’s also thoughtful in understanding why the problem still exists today, with a clear gap.
2. feasible: thoughtful in approach for solving the problem. shows research and mock-ups. there is an implementation strategy.
3. economic incentives: has a target customer with a willingness to pay and market hypothesis for how to build this into a company and not be a charity.
4. legit branding: the name, the slides, the website, and visual mockups should be great design. it should feel like a real company.
case studies for training skills
spotlight: kheyti
framing: a majority of indian farmers are smallholders ( <1 hectacre of land) producing 50% of the agricultural output and making up a third of total employment. the constraints of running a smaller operation combined with climatic risks, including increased drought, unseasonal rains, and unexpected pests, has made it hard for farmers to make a viable living.
problem: in india, 100 million smallholder farmers earn ~$1000 a year, with high variance and low dependability.
vision: how might we double the farmer's income in a reliable way so that they earn $100 every single month?
solution: a 216 square meter, steel frame greenhouse, enabling market ready produce to be grown on a small portion of the land with limited water and pest protection. this is paired with training, specific inputs, and market partnerships.
challenge: with the high overhead of the greenhouse, kheyti explores a pay as you grow model compared to large contract farming to see what makes sense to help enable more accessibility in the market for their solution.
check out more case studies
the journey of project development
- find a big problem. explain it simply to someone in 2 minutes. think of an ambitious vision for how the world can be better.
- analyze root causes. identify what underlying factor, if solved, would have a majority impact.
- understand the gap. map out different categories for how people are solving the problem today.
- figure out a full stack solution. create a hypothesis for how to fully solve the problem, including economic incentives.
- prototype. make a demo or mock up of solution.
post mortem
what i would keep doing
- weekly team check ins. 30min to start for initial progress. then 60min in the second half enabled deeper work. white boarding is a must.
- structured thinking. making the intangible tangible with outlined guides for what good looks like for each stage. use this to centralize coaching efforts.
- fall in love with the problem. help activates explore different kinds of problems and constantly ask themsleves "is this something i care about solving?." documentaries are great for exposure.
what i would do differently
- focus on research and understanding first. we jumped right into execution mode, which was more exciting, but also limited scale of ambition. people wanted to skip steps in the process. no skipping steps.
- be clear on the bigger vision. have each team clearly explain their problem and how their solution will be radically better than the status quo.
- better forcing functions along the way.we doubled the time we usually include for a sprint, but without proper forcing functions, there is no push for progress. our initial mentor roundtable was well intentioned, but failed without proper prep or focus.
resources to explore
audacious projects by ted
as an early stage deep tech investor, rahul explore differnet tactical perspectives and philosophies on how to invest in larger breakthroughs in science and technology. check out ted talks →
unreasonable group
as a founder and investor, naveen reveals a creative take on questioning fundamental industries that have seen little change in the last 30 years, including space tech and education. check out their portfolio →
$100m in change by macarthur foundation
this youtube video covers strategic functions of innovation as it relates to starting new projects and building a culture of doing the hard things. check out the finalists →