Certainly, order does trump chaos, so rules are important, but the extent to which rules are followed varies throughout the world.  In developing countries, rules often tend to be treated as more like guidelines, and if corruption is going on, the rules are just completely ignored.

So, why do we follow rules in the first place? Rules do a few things: first, they help to establish accepted norms of interaction.   Secondly, rules ensure the communal good (safety, fairness, and so on).  For instance, when two cars pull up at a stop sign intersection, the rules of right-of-way make it easy to decide who should go first.  It also gives both drivers the peace of mind that if they follow the right-of-way rule, then they can proceed through the intersection safely.

So far, rules seem great –they help us communicate and they create a net benefit.  So why are so many rules ignored?

The trouble with rules stems from an economic concept called the “Prisoner’s Dilemma”.  Essentially, if everyone follows the rules, then the person that breaks them stands to benefit (e.g. the person who cheats on a test), whereas if everyone breaks the rule, then everyone ends up worse off (e.g. the teacher realizes everyone cheated and punishes everyone).

In America, we have done an excellent job at creating a rule-fearing society.  For the most part, people just follow the rules without question.  In fact, often rules are self-enforcing because Americans call eachother out when they break the rules.  This is part of our culture, but it is also part of being a developed country (people are more likely to trust the rule-enforcers).

Why you should break the rules

Rules are excellent when it comes to driving, sports and the law.  The problem is that too often, we keep following the rules in areas we shouldn’t.

Rules are meant to be broken:

-          When you are designing something that has never been designed before

-          When you are creating a business strategy that isn’t the same old norm

-          When you are building the next big thing.

Rules should not define your creativity.  When it comes to free thinking and new solutions…break the rules!

~ Bryan

Embrace it

As entrepreneurs come to find out, there are lots of inherent risks to starting your own business. Social entrepreneurs working in the developing world know that they’re about to face challenges and risks unlike any other. And yet they jump in head first. Seemingly.

Maybe not every entrepreneur is like that. While you need a fearless leader to guide your team, not every entrepreneur is ecstatic about the possibility of being left without money and a job if things go sour. The risks to your personal, financial, and professional lives can be frightening but can also become a source of negative energy once IN the startup phase.

You cannot just assume “some” of the risk in front of you. Whatever is your share is yours whether you like it or not. So rather than occupy much of your mental energy worrying about the risks that you’ve (already) taken, embrace the risk and turn it to positive energy.

You can’t solve your latest product conundrum when you’re constantly thinking about the future. You can’t sell your idea to others when your voice sounds fearful. You can’t reach your potential when you’ve (unbeknownst to you) tethered yourself to the ground.

The phrase “throwing caution to the wind” comes to mind here. Yet this is not to say that one should be reckless or without fear.

The fact remains: you’re going to take risk. You can’t predict the future. You don’t know that you’re going to succeed. But you don’t know you’re going to fail. You can’t step in the shower without getting wet. Make the best of it.

- Chris

Just as a trip home to spend time with family can help to rejuvenate, refocus or reprioritize our lives, so too can businesses get a “jump start” from their fallback. What is that fallback for you and your business? Might it be a chat with your advisors? Maybe it’s a company meeting to dust off your mission statement and realign current projects.

But why do we need this? As business progresses, efforts can sometimes be more focused on the details than the bigger vision. Now don’t get me wrong, living in the details is a necessity for companies, but that’s where leaders come in to provide guidance and a sense of calming to ensure that we still are moving towards the greater vision.

Yet at times we may diverge from our values – this is not unusual. This is where our fallbacks come into play. They serve as a healthy reminder for who we are, why we’re doing this, and can sometimes provide a unique perspective to which we’ve become blinded.

Social enterprise is a real challenge due to the very nature of going against the grain of traditional capitalistic business. You might get swayed by profits in exchange for your values. Think back to why your started or joined your organization.

I challenge you to think about who your fallbacks are in your personal life as well as business. Maybe it’s time to reach back out to them if you are in need of a jump.

- Chris

Yet why do we take them so often? Well for the obvious reasons that our decision could end up being cheaper, quicker, and less of a hassle. Many times the decisions are made easier by the lack of oversight and dishonest regulators who might not only allow shortcuts but encourage them. Many times, the downstream effect of our choices is so far from view, that the consequences of taking product shortcuts don’t seem real.

Yet shortcuts don’t only apply to businesses – consumers, too, face a daily dilemma in their purchases and product usage. Kerosene lamps, for example, provide consumers with the ability to instantly heat/brighten their homes at the best price they can find. The introduction of solar powered lanterns has taken on the challenge of making it easier for consumers to make the right choice for their wallet, environment, and safety.

Here at RisingPyramid, we believe in the ability for every company to innovate and find new, cleaner, more responsible ways to avoid costly shortcuts. Yet we also believe in the ability of companies to make it easier for consumers to make the “better” choice. The downstream effect that seems so far off can be turned into a reality by companies that not only highlight it, but make consumers eager to choose better.

Keep an eye out and take stock of your own consumer choices: are the companies you support known for taking shortcuts along the way towards getting you your product? Are they making it easier for you to make a responsible product choice?

- Chris

When Dreams Alight

Looking back on the path of my life, I can see clearly that I grew up dreaming of making a difference in a world that didn’t feel quite equitable—even if I didn’t understand why.

My dreams shaped my choices and my choices shaped my experiences, but until 2009, I had yet to diverge.

Chris and I started Rising Pyramid three years ago because we were dissatisfied with the level of difference we could make at our day jobs.

Back then, we were high-fiving when we got over 10 viewers in a day.  Reflecting back, at first, Rising Pyramid was more about us than about the outside world; we were learning and inspiring ourselves as we wrote.

Three years ago when we published our first post, we pivoted away from the normal path.  That action was significant, not because it mattered to the rest of the world, but because it was a choice that mattered within.

Starting Rising Pyramid was a decision—a commitment to pursue the dreams that a childhood had created.  Without realizing it, I had found the act of prioritizing something meaningful over my free time so rewarding that it inspired a thousand similar acts.

Through one post per week, we learned the joy of doing something that felt like giving back.  We were off the ‘beaten path’.

The less trodden route can be a slippery, thrilling slope…before I knew it I was walking the path to work at a startup in Pakistan as an Acumen Fund Fellow.   My choices shaped my experiences as I learned to appreciate the perspectives of a people who couldn’t be more different from your average Californian.

The trouble with this path is that there is a long way to go.  As I become increasingly cognizant of the chasms of trust that exist between the peoples of our world, I’m saddened on a deep level.

Three Years In, A Long Way To Go
Rising Pyramid has always been about how utilizing business concepts can help those at the bottom of the economic pyramid.  Yet, we can’t talk about business without understanding context: culture, religion, perspective and sentiment.

The very concept of social business is built on the premise that we should treat those who have been cast aside by society with the respect and dignity that any customer of any product or service deserves (e.g. humane, fair treatment).  The challenge for ‘Westerners’ in social business is that those who went before us, more often than not, left with a bad reputation.

Throughout history, Westerners have shown up on the shores of today’s developing countries promising riches and protection and growth, only to loot or colonize.   Though many came with honest intentions, there were enough who had the pride to believe that they were better, or more privileged, than another people—enough to spoil a fragile trust and understanding.

Religious misunderstanding has also played a huge role in wedging the divide.  While all religions teach the importance of peace and community, enough of us have had the prejudice to use religion as a rallying torch for evil—whether it be through coordinated action or mere thoughts that silently flit in and out of your head.

For much of the developing world, there is a deep rooted hesitancy to trust and accept help from the outside.   Yet, we can build that trust one step at a time.

Last year, I befriended a street vendor in Nepal who sold miniature violins and he invited me over for dinner in one of the poorer, more dangerous parts of Kathmandu.  It was risky of me to go, but I extended my trust to this young man, and kept an eye over my shoulder.  A few hours later, I found myself sitting on his old wooden bed (no mattress) in the 10×10 room that was his entire house.  We shared stories and built trust and mutual understanding as his wife cooked us a simple but delicious dinner.

The answer to distrust in this world is not war or more colonization and hate, but individual experiences and personal connections.  We need more people to go into the homes of the incredibly poor and talk to them like they are equals.

This not an easy path, but it is the only path to mutual understanding.  We need more social entrepreneurs, not just to build businesses that make dignified life easier, but also in order to establish relationships built on mutual support, rather than mutual prejudice.

Rising Pyramid is about celebrating social entrepreneurs and inspiring new ones.   Together we can march forward.

A Path Across The Divide
The events of the last week highlight just how deeply ingrained our problem is; in multiple countries, offended Muslims stormed or protested American embassies because of a terrible and hateful anti-Islam video.  As a result, the US Ambassador to Libya, who was a local hero, was killed.

This is bound to stir up hate within Americans and Muslims alike, but if we only knew each other, we could see that generally all major religious or national groups have some crazy extremists attempting to cause lots of trouble, and frankly they should be ignored.

The video that created so much trouble was heavily publicized by a wacky pastor in Florida—the same one who has ignited hate by burning the Koran in the past.  Most Americans find the video repulsive and the pastor himself a nut.  Yet, someone who is perceived as crazy domestically may still be perceived as a representative American abroad.

This is where the confusion, pride and prejudice begins.  I am absolutely certain that right now, around the world, people are blaming America as a whole saying, ‘Did you hear about the anti-Islamic video from America?’  If you are American, this may seem like an unfair assessment to you, but don’t be so blind as to not realize that us Americans are guilty of misguided prejudice as well.

At the moment, millions of Americans are appalled that ‘Muslims’ are attacking our embassies.  Pride, especially national or religious pride, has the power to blind us.

We are talking about extremists on both sides of the equation.  Just as it is unfair for others to call this hateful video ‘American’, it is downright wrong for Americans to judge the people of the Middle East for the actions of a few crazies.

Having lived in Pakistan, I can tell you that the Muslims there are an incredibly peaceful people.  If anything, Muslims themselves are more affected by the regional extremists than anyone else ever is.

The ticket to progress is truly setting aside our national pride and our personal prejudices—to be open to the fact that maybe we’re all just humans hoping to live, laugh and love for 80+ trips around the sun.  One dream—to live happily with friends and family—is shared across the world, regardless of race, color, creed, preference or nation.  Yet dreams do not always have the power to inspire choices alone.

Choosing The Road Less Traveled
Our dream for Rising Pyramid is that it motivates others to make the same choice we are making each and every day: to keep travelling, up and down, forward and backwards, on a path towards universal respect, dignity and trust.

We are making progress—one step at a time.  Readership is up from 10 views a day to over 50,000 visitors already this year.

This year saw the advent of Microfinance Monday, a once-a-month feature by Chris that not only summarizes recent microfinance trends, but also challenges the industry to move forward.

Our most popular post—with 3x more reads than the next most popular post—is still the tribute I wrote to Pakistan a year ago.

With writing that ranges from analytical topics to moral musings, we strive to inspire new leaders to take that first step.

We cannot let those who perpetuate hate, misguidance and confusion to go on unchallenged.

There is still a long way to go, but we hope that together, we can make choices that shape the experiences of this generation.

Together, we can pave the less-trodden path, and build a road towards global respect and camaraderie.

~ Bryan and Chris

Many times the word “entrepreneur” is code for “jack-of-all-trades”. From setting up a wireless printer to editing financial models to navigating tax code, entrepreneurs have to do it all at one point in time or another.

Our backgrounds and experiences are major parts of what shape the ways in which we approach problems – or, said another way, “the angle” in which we view them.

Our schooling, home life, prior work experience, social adventures, and values are ingredients that create various angles for us to understand problems, tasks, and solutions.

Think about your own angles.  Which tend to be dominant during different parts of your day?  When in times of stress or pressure, do you revert to one more than another?

What makes social entrepreneurs so powerful are the unique angles they possess that have fueled their decision to work in the Social Enterprise space.  The experiences that have led them to this point remain with you through every decision.

As entrepreneurs grow alongside the rest of their team, some angles tend to be dulled, possibly due to another colleague’s better way of approaching a problem.  Still, other angles tend to become more pronounced over time as routines begin to form.

When working alongside others, take a minute to observe their angles.  Put yourself in their shoes and try to understand how they think.  You might surprise yourself with what you find.

- Chris

With the American presidential election coming up, each party has spent a tremendous effort convincing the public that their candidate for president will do a better job at helping the ordinary citizen reach the ‘American’ dream.

I put ‘American’ in quotes because the dream is one that is shared by people across the world; we each have a vision of life success that we aspire to.

Yet, so often we let society and our peers determine the terms of that dream, and the path to it.  As a kid, the path to the dream is laid before you quite clearly: get good grades, go to a good college, and get a good job: boom, add in a mortgage and kids and you’ve got the dream.

As you get older, the well-trodden path towards success diverges, but it is there: go to business school, get promoted, make partner….and so on.  It’s easier to follow the path than to walk away from it–and that’s why it is easy to make a misstep.

Too often, I watch my friends pursue the ‘American’ dream at the expense of their own.

Stop following the crowd for the sake of following the crowd–take a step towards your own vision.

The path you choose doesn’t matter; you can even choose to follow along with everyone else — that is 100% okay–as long as you choose that path for yourself.

Breaking away from the well-trodden default is risky and challenging; you lose the safety that comes with numbers, and who knows, it might all fall apart.

But then again maybe it won’t.

Dare to dream — your own dream.

~ Bryan

The governmental takeover of Grameen bank stands squarely against the principles and standards upon which it was founded, and wipes out the borrower-led model that has been a shining star through the recent turmoil in the microfinance industry.

It is a shame to see the work of Prof. Yunus and the Grameen team attempt to be invalidated, but what the government of Bangladesh cannot take away is the strength, reputation, success, and promise of borrower-involved microfinance.

Microfinance lives on and is moving into the next phase of development – one with technology at the forefront to push the efficiency with which information is used. In Rwanda, MFIs are teaming up with global technology and software firms to bring MFI data to the cloud.

This forward thinking (similar to the heavier reliance on mobile payments) will be helpful in ensuring that those at the BoP obtain (and retain) access to the quality financial service they need and deserve.

Lastly, I’d like to give a big congratulations to Kiva for finally breaking down the barrier and gaining access to the nation of India. We, here at RisingPyramid, have been big advocates for Kiva to be allowed and operating in India. We look forward to hearing more great stories of the lives affected in India!

- Chris

Eventually this led to the establishment of an allowance system in the Farris household & the beginning of my Dad’s natural thriftiness.  Yet, what was a 7-year old’s ‘I want it…therefore it is mine’ attitude resurfaced in a mature way later in life as drive and ambition.

Sure, you can’t go around taking things (okay, we’ll give you some credit if you’re under the age of 10) but you should see the world as a set of opportunities ready for you to seize.   If you want to achieve something, then pursue it…do it!

The difference between a 7-year old’s attitude and adult life is that you will never reach a goal by definition of wanting to reach the goal.  Everything takes work, and effort and diligence, but at the same time, everything is possible.

If you want the moon, make it happen.

~ Bryan

There has been a lot of debate about this; in an ideal world, social entrepreneurs create business models that rely on the social mission in order to complete the profit formula.  Personally, I’m always on the look-out for ways to better ensure that my company’s social mission will be further fulfilled with each new dollar of revenue.

In their Fall 2012 publication, the Stanford Social Innovation Review published a fascinating article about the truth behind Ben & Jerry’s sale to Unilever, and how it affects social entrepreneurs.  The premise of the article is that Ben & Jerry’s didn’t want to sell out of fear that their social mission/culture would be lost, but eventually they were obligated to sell to a large buyer.  There are some good lessons for social entrepreneurs at the end.

Naturally a few questions come to mind:
Can social entrepreneurs actually succeed in ensuring that their social mission doesn’t go away when they leave?  Yes—it is certainly possible, but this is a key challenge.

Do social entrepreneurs have exit opportunities/buyers that would prioritize the social mission & maintain it?  At present, the space is limited but socially minded investing firms (like Abacus) are on the rise and eventually there will be enough demand from investors to maintain socially minded funds.

Finish the Pipeline
In reality, social entrepreneurship is about the beginning of the evolutionary lifecycle of the well-intentioned corporation.   Social entrepreneurs build small businesses and rely on small scale investors to get them off the ground.  Eventually Series-A size investments come in from the Impact Investing Community.   At that point, businesses are free to scale to a self-sustaining size, at which point an exit, or additional capital investment is the most logical next step.  Unfortunately, there aren’t many options out there without foregoing control over the social mission (e.g. Ben & Jerry’s).   The pipeline stops there.

We need more individuals who are experts at running or managing big businesses to step-in and carry the social flag even further.

Introducing the age of the WIBB
It is now time to introduce a new kind of business—a next generation social business; the social entrepreneurs version of a butterfly: the Well Intentioned Big Business (WIBB).  Social Entrepreneurs should build their businesses with the dream of becoming WIBBs.

From a values perspective, WIBBs are the same as small social startups, but from an operational perspective they reach a much larger scale.  Impact comes with scale and scale comes with big business.  Therefore, the Well Intentioned Big Business is the ultimate goal as far as impact is concerned.

What is a WIBB? I have yet to come up with a strict definition; but part of me wonders whether creating one would defeat the point.  A WIBB is a large business that maintains a focus on social and/or environmental values as if they were rules of law.  WIBBs optimize for profit and growth, but they do so within the context of the social or environmental mission.

Entrepreneurs out there; remember, you aren’t just building a company and moving on; you’re about to ship something through the pipeline.  Try to build a WIBB.

~ Bryan