Shows
Discipling By JesusRemembering to Forget: Composting Kingdom SoilWhat if the key to spiritual renewal lies not in striving, but in composting? In their usual raw and winding dialogue, Robby Butler and Ernest Prabhakar meander through standing desks, soil microbes, regenerative agriculture, Gethsemane, and K-pop Demon Hunters — only to find themselves circling back to a single question:> What does it really mean to be a son of God?This episode is less an argument and more a practice — an honest attempt to listen, stumble, abide, and occasionally forget, in order to remember what matters most. It’s about...
2025-08-061h 28
Leave Better: Conversations of Impact for Business and LifeRisk and Rewards - Ernest PrabhakarWelcome to another episode of the Leave Better podcast where I interview high performers and business owners, gleaning from their wisdom, practical routines, habits, and mindsets.In episode 43, we are pleased to have Ernest Prabhakar, PhD. Ernie worked for Apple, and has great stories from that era of his life that will interest you whether you are a business owner, or you like those products.He talks about ambition, openness, risk taking, gratitude and awareness. Enjoy!The transcript of this episode.[00:00:16] Intro to Ernest[00:03:28] Asking Why...
2023-04-1745 min
Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernancePro-Social Crypto GamesThe Three Big IdeasThe best way to promote more humane, decentralized, and empowering versions of civilization Is to define a metric (eg, The Generative Governance Index) to act as a status game for social architectsThe easiest, most numerous, and most lucrative social systems to prototype this system is crypto communitiesDecentralizing both the rating with and updating of the Index is a perfect use case for crypto ($GENRUS?)ReferencesProof of HumanityOpen Source InitiativeLEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)The Cook and the Chef: Musk’s Secret Sauce (Wait But Why)The Laboratory for Complex Pr...
2022-01-1337 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceA Clear Path to TranscendenceAfter several videos with Tom Gilb (See https://youtu.be/8yEtL3KSfzY), the two Ernests stop to work out how and whether our current "Plan" of Datocracy is aligned with the initial vision of Smart Documents + Open Ecosystems as the building blocks of HumaneKind.Our conclusion is that "Corporate Datocracy" (as represented by ValPlan and Planguage) is a useful stepping stone. In particular, it pushes us to clearly articulate the "Value Objectives" needed to enable a "Public Datocracy," such as:Open FormatPublic ContentEase of AdoptionOur belief is that iterating on this "Datocracy 0.1" exercise will b...
2021-10-301h 03Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceCommunal Decision-Making w/Tom GilbFree Resources from Tom Gilb (@imtomgilb)Searchable Index of PublicationsClear Communication: Logical Language Logistics for Replies and Phrases (Book)Systems Enterprise Architecture (Book)12? (Twelve Tough Questions Booklet)QUANTeer: The Art of quantifying your value ideas (Book) (Video)PLanalysis (Booklet)Specifying Quality Requirements With Planguage (ModernAnalyst.com)PLanguage: A Software and Systems Engineering Language, for Evaluating Methods, and Managing Projects for Zero Failure, and Maximum ‘Value Efficiency’ (PDF)Value Requirements (Book) (Video)Governeering: Government Systems Engineering Planning (Book)Knowledge Education Nurture (Book)[UN] Sustainability Planning (Book) (YouTube)Other ReferencesValPlan, the ValueFirst Tool (7-day free...
2021-09-171h 00Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDatocracy: Data-ConsciousnessThe Coherency Manifesto: Towards Communal Data PlatformsSpecial thanks to Aneesh Karve of Quilt Data for joining the Ernests in this special mini-series on Datocracy. Tune in for our wrap-up next week to discover what happens next!
2021-09-111h 05Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDatocracy: Individuality Within CommunityNext week: how can we encode the semantics of a community's (company's) values into a syntax rich enough to enable Rational Trust?The Coherency Manifesto: Towards Communal Data PlatformsDraft 5 adds point #8: We will never do this perfectly, but the better we understand and document our decisions, learnings and failures, the more rapidly the next generation can improve on them
2021-09-041h 03Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDatocracy: Manifesto CultureNotes from August 20th, 2021 Datocracy Podcastcf Revolutionary TransparencyHuman Intelligence Augmentation vs Artificial General IntelligenceRational as a subset of the RealThe Legal System is the execution engine of Legal Code (cf US forking from English Common Law)Trust is the irreducible element of systemsTransparent HistoryTransparent IncentivesVoice vs Exit (“take my data and go home”) eg BATNAEqual data power (despite unequal real power and resources)Datocracy is agreement on the ‘mechanism’ (protocol?) of data, with the policies being subject to debate and forking.Q: Dat...
2021-08-211h 03Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDatocracy: Forking CultureMemes are transmitted via imitation (mimesis/memesis)Enables/requires consumers to become producers (cf editing Wikipedia)Solves the Datocrat's Conundrum (sticky semantics)The most generative system (reproduction + diversity) winsMasnick's Impossibility Theorem: Content Moderation At Scale Is Impossible To Do WellNo more silent failures!Well-formed (syntax)Fungibility"The most reliable system [longest history] is also the most maladaptive."Cardano cryptocurrencyFor next week:Machine-assisted context reconciliation (cf reconciling schemas)Constitution as syntax: what is the constitution of Datopolis?cf RTFM: The Revolutionary Transparency Manifesto
2021-08-141h 10Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDatocracy: Semantics into SyntaxElinor Ostrom “non-tragedy-commons” and Governing the Commonsbitcoin-paves-a-way-for-evolution-of-the-species and neal-stephensonhistory-of-the-stock-market and history of moneyThe_Cathedral_and_the_Bazaar and richard-stallman-epstein-scandalInternational Standard (History) and List_of_technical_standard_organizationsOverview of ITU's History benefits and pitfalls to the startup model of ‘scratching your own itch’.An ordered list of Hard Things, for next week: Developing a shared semantic understanding within a local contextEncoding those semantics in a syntactic system that functions in that contextScaling that to other contexts -- especially via bottom-up voluntary adoptionHonoring the original intent without becoming limited by it
2021-08-071h 18Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDatocracy: Test of Earnest-ness w/Aneesh Karve of Quilt DataSwitch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard (Chip Heath)Direct the Rider, Motivate the Elephant, and Shape the Path (Sources of Insight)Easily Confused (Seth's Blog)Humanekind Posts (Ernest Bruce)
2021-07-311h 09Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDatocracy: Meta-RealityHow to create a global culture that responsibly empowers local innovation for greater humanity
2021-07-3048 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDatocracy: Computing SemanticsWords to marry digital precision with analog experiences
2021-07-231h 10Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceZigZag 6: Docu-cracyRTFM: The Revolutionary Transparency Manifesto (Radical Centrism)Datocracy (Twitter)Rohit Khare (LinkedIn)Robert Fiskin (LinkedIn)The ZigZag Project
2021-07-1648 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceZigZag 5: TransparentismCan reducing information asymmetry via cryptographic security cure what ails both capitalism and socialism?
2021-07-091h 03Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceZigZag 4: Circling ValuesWhich "weird" ideas align with both our values and our long-term version?
2021-07-0224 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceZigZag 3: Weirdly Smart DocumentationWith special guest David G, Bruce brainstorms ideas for how to move the needle
2021-06-2828 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceZigZag 2: HumaneKind Life & Stackhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Work
2021-06-2129 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceZigZag 1: Frustrated and Hopefulhttps://blog.ted.com/the-zigzag-project-lauches-from-the-ted-audio-collective/Inspired by the massive overhaul of our lives due to COVID-19, The ZigZag Projectoffers a six-step boot camp that’s been beta-tested by listeners and features insights from luminaries who have helped Manoush Zomorodi stay the course throughout her career. The interactive experience combines audio storytelling with written exercises and a companion newsletter to align listeners’ personal values with their professional ambitions.
2021-06-1110 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceHODL_Boy, Crypto-CapitalistErnest Bruce on:SubstackTwitter
2021-05-0831 min
2021-03-3125 min2021-03-271h 10Discipling By JesusHow to Launch a MovementErnie propose to Robby than they pivot from perfecting a format to co-founding a movement
2021-03-2627 min
Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceExNext: Mac OS X 20th Anniversary"I hadn’t fully appreciated how those times in the NeXT/Apple transition — building towards 10.0 — were so critical in our lives and perhaps in the industry’s evolution as a whole." -- Peter G.Automated TranscriptAllan NathansonAndrew MoonAndrew StoneAndy BelkBertrand SerletBlaine GarstBrett HalleEric HermansonKevin EnderbyKevin KoymJohn JamesMark DadgarPaul LambertPeter GraffagninoTed GoldsteinWilliam Parkhurst
2021-03-251h 32Discipling By JesusFormat HackersErnie and Robby discuss whom to work with on evolving the DBJ format
2021-03-2454 minDiscipling By JesusEnter the MillenniumSuccess Criteria:Through your encouragement, questions, conversations and prayers, you have nudged me towards a growing closeness to Jesus. So that in my regular moments of life, he is more present and interacting.
2021-03-201h 02Discipling By JesusA Learnable Moment1 Peter 4:10Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.
2021-03-1445 minDiscipling By JesusExpanding Circuits of GraceThe Crew explores One Metric that Matters, to help us get DBJ down to just 90 minutes
2021-03-061h 00Discipling By JesusOpening WeekendErnie and Robby rejoice on the strong turnout and powerful connections from the first two sessions
2021-02-2728 minDiscipling By JesusBecoming a HostNew Crew member Brent Lindquist joins to learn how DBJ differs from traditional small groups, including the importance of communion
2021-02-271h 00
Discipling By JesusExperience and Respond to JesusAfter a successful first pilot of "Discipling by Jesus", Ernie and Robby touch base to see if they are on the same page about what should happen next, and how best to position it. Robby suggests a focus on 'hearing and following Jesus", but Ernie propose "experience and respond to Jesus" as broader and more relational.Robby shares his passion for ensuring movements are reaching people where they are -- especially their families -- rather than pulling them into an entirely new context. Ernie also agrees with the need for "redemptive incarnation," but prefers to make a fam...
2021-02-0752 min
Discipling By JesusA Valentine's Gift for Jesus?Does Grace exist so we can fulfill the Law? Or does the Law exist to show us our need for Grace? Is our greatest work to love the poor? Or simply to love Jesus? Are they ultimately the same? If so, does it matter which order?As leaders, is our primary job to enroll followers in our vision? Expand our vision to incorporate theirs? Point them to Jesus? Help them find their own vision? Ernie and Ted continue their quest to find common ground in loving more like Jesus, as they look towards a...
2021-02-0255 min
Discipling By JesusThe Terms of Our DiscipleshipIn this phone call recorded shortly before last Friday's "Finale" of The Great Reset, Eric questions Ernie about why he's ending The Great Reset, and what comes next. Ernie argues that his "original sin" while co-founding The Great Reset was focusing on Ambition and Technique. While not bad in themselves, this led incurably to Arrogance and Law, rather than Humility and Grace. He believes the only solution is to start over (after a 3 week hiatus) with Something Different centered on the cross of Christ. ReferencesAutomated Transcript (UberConference)Bounded Sets versus Centered Sets (Western...
2021-01-151h 04
Discipling By JesusLetting Go, with David JohnsonTo start with, David and Ernie both agree that The Great Reset is:Too dominated by ErnieLacks a clear sense of purposeLacks consistency of formatLacks continuity of topicsThe disagreement started when Ernie explained that this Friday (15 Jan 2021) is THE Finale of The Great Reset, and what came after would be Something Different. While Ernie saw this as an opportunity to re-found The Great Reset in a more inclusive and coherent fashion, David saw it as Ernie simply doing more of the same.Perhaps surprisingly, David felt that this wasn't due to any sin on E...
2021-01-141h 31
Discipling By JesusShooting the Great Reset, with Ted HahsTed and Ernie record what may be their last episode of The Great Reset podcast, as they plan for the finale on January 15th. When Ted asks Ernie about working together afterwards on Something Different, Ernie expresses concern over what he perceived as Ted's dismissiveness of his feelings. This was aggravated (if not caused) by Ted not responding to a heartfelt email Ernie has shared over Christmas; which they just discovered Ted had not even seen!In the end, Ernie shared his perspective on what he felt it would look like for Ted to love hi...
2021-01-101h 00Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceMinimum Viable VisionBruce reaffirms and doubles down on his commitment to develop an artistic vision that can inspire generations to pursue a more human-centered world order.Prabhakar suggests that Bruces still faces the same challenges as in building a business, except instead of Product-Market fit he needs "Vision-Community" fit. He also still needs to cross the chasm by offering something 5-10x better, even if it is competing on ideas rather than products. For example, many of those dissatisfied with capitalism are already satisfied to Marxism, and therefore would not be early adopters of anything new.Prabhakar ch...
2021-01-0836 min
Discipling By JesusI'm Sorry for Yelling "I'm Sorry", with David JohnsonDavid and Ernie appear to agree with the statement that "the problem is sin, and the cure is Jesus" -- but seem unable to agree about what those words mean, or even whether or not they agree.David affirms how Ernie is fantastic at handling negative feedback, but confused why he appears incapable of incorporating constructive suggestions.Ernie admires David's commitment and forthrightness, but wonders why he is focused on pointing out wrongs rather than providing grace.Ernie pitches David on the idea of coming together around communion for the Season Finale. David l...
2021-01-071h 29
Discipling By JesusJoining Jesus, with Robby ButlerRobby and Ernie discuss:Possible limits to simply hearing and obeying JesusWhether DBS emphasizes Law (obedience) at the expense of Grace (relationship)Whether there is a "performative" act that constitutes being a Christian (e.g., repentance, communion)The difference between "joining with Jesus in his work" (as servants, focused on productivity) versus "joining with Jesus through His work" (as friends or family, focused on intimacy)How "to seek and save that which is lost" might apply both internally and externallyThe end of The Great ResetReferencesAutomated Transcript
2021-01-0645 min
Discipling By JesusSorry, I Had an Epiphany (with David Johnson)To escape from a confused chat thread, David rephrased three concerns he had about Ernie's proposed topic for this coming Tuesday (1/5/2021) on The Great Reset:It does not provide continuity, or address open problemsErnie seems to be placing all the responsibility on David, rather than sharing itThe goal should be to model (live out) discipleship, and Ernie's proposal doesn't seem to accomplish what his proposal attempted, i.e. establishing a baseline he can use to hold people's feet to the fire (and vice versa) Ernie clarified that he did intend to address #1, apologized for #2, and expressed curiosity a...
2021-01-0436 min
Discipling By JesusJesus Lovers, with Robby ButlerRobby contacted Ernie to ensure he hadn't hurt his feelings during Tuesday's The Great Reset. He had agreed with Janet that he too would leave the group if it was true that Ernie was espousing non-scriptural foundations, but didn't think that was the case.Ernie admitted that he had partly called out Robby's statement for dramatic effect; the emotional pain was minimal (and addressed). However, he would have preferred Robby to validate Janet's emotions without necessarily endorsing her reasoning (about leaving), even if he disagreed with her facts.Surprisingly, Robby realized that he had actually l...
2021-01-011h 19
Discipling By JesusBeyond Spiritual Fathering, with Steve McGriffAfter an extended period of reconciliation, Steve and Ernie return to discuss questions of discipleship. Ernie proposes the alternate term "spiritual fathering" to describe the relationship of Paul with Timothy. He affirms that this kind of authority-based model, built around implicit trust in the "father figure," is essential for new believers. However, he argues that:A group of mature believers like The Great Reset wouldn't accept an authority like thatWhen it doesn't work, we blame individuals rather than the modelWhen it does work, it is hard for people to transcend the limitations of the father figureS...
2021-01-011h 29
Discipling By JesusTrain-Wreck ChurchDavid was surprised that Ernie was so upbeat about Tuesday's conversation with Janet. Perhaps this is because Ernie was primarily hurt by Janet appearing to withdraw from the group relationship, then reaffirming that relationship (and Ernie's emotions) on Tuesday. David was less optimistic, because Ernie and Janet had not appeared to reach a common understanding, which implied such problems were likely to recur.This was poignant for David because he felt frustrated in his attempt to encourage Janet to reconcile. Waiting until Ernie finished also did not seem a viable option, since he was scheduled to work wi...
2020-12-311h 44
Discipling By JesusTwo and a Half AliensAfter a bruising (if surprisingly productive) episode last Tuesday, David shares frustrations about his relationship with Bill. He also has to remind Ernie that the reason he (David) didn't welcome Ernie's input was that Ernie didn't seem interested in understanding David. Ernie conceded the point, but argued it was wrong for David to bring Bill up if he didn't want Ernie's help. David immediately agreed, apologized and confessed.[They had initially agreed to remove the offending section, but later decided to show it to Bill first. He surprisingly agreed to publish it, but wanted to discuss David's ch...
2020-12-281h 48Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceMake Art, Not MoneyBruce reiterates his vision of a world not controlled by profit-driven entities such as Facebook. Prabhakar counters that profit isn't the problem; Facebook succeeded in displacing the open web because it solved problems that the altruistic W3C didn't, because it lacked the incentives and empathy to solve the problems of "real-world identity" crucial to Facebook's success. In fact, Prabhakar went further and claimed that the key problem with most non-market solutions is that they tend require political acts of consensus-building (monolithic "Cathedrals") rather than enabling bottom-up experimentation (decentralized Bazaars). This isn't to glorify markets, but to poi...
2020-12-1951 min
Discipling By Jesus"I Crushed Your Spirit"Ernie is surprised to discover that David:Has not been truly engaged with The Great Reset during Season 6Does not think Ernie shares his belief that The Great Reset should focus on relationshipsFeels obligated to conform to Ernie's values, as owner of the group(David, for his part, was surprised that this wasn't obvious to Ernie).Much of this seems to stem from Ernie's perspective that he is a "Steward" of the group. As such, his responsibility is not to impose his values, but create a safe space for everyone to express their values to...
2020-12-171h 10
Discipling By JesusVoice of the Customer, with David JohnsonErnie and David debrief The Great Reset (12/7). Should we primarily focus on being Discipled by Scripture? Or should we be figuring out a way to articulate and implement the vision of our Producer, Ted Hahs? Whose vision really counts, anyway? Will Bill ever come back? And what would it take for David to feel this has all been worth it?ReferencesAutomated Transcript (UberConference)What are User Stories? (Agile Alliance)The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint Exupery)Genius versus Crackpot (Twitter)
2020-12-101h 14Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDemand-Side Local ValuesBruce talks about Nerd Brawn, his high-minded vision of vertically-integrated computing infrastructure for helping local producers compete against giant multi-nationals. Prabhakar pushed him to be more specific about a) what tradeoffs he (and others) should make for the sake of local control, and b) what value proposition would entice producers to work with him before he had overwhelming scale. In particular, Prabhakar argued that if Bruce really wanted to help local retailers, he would need custom solutions for each community, rather than assuming technology itself would suffice.In that vein, Bruce suggested homelessness is an urgent issue fo...
2020-12-0450 min
Discipling By JesusWhen Slappy Met Jesus, with Janet DavisIn this powerful follow-on to last Tuesday's episode of The Great Reset, Janet shares about the trauma she experienced as a child, and the struggle she faces between expressing her anger and trying to be "perfect." In particular, she confesses a deep desire to slap whoever dissed her, rather than having to show them compassion.Ernie suggested naming that part of herself "Slappy", and asking what it wants -- and where it came from. Janet shared how she was required to be silent whenever she witnessed abuse at home, lest she make things worse. More, she was e...
2020-12-0451 min
Discipling By JesusModel Behavior, with David JohnsonDavid and Ernie both enjoyed Tuesday's episode of The Great Reset, but not in the same way. Ernie saw it as encouraging progress towards the group learning how to "Love More Like Jesus." But while David considered it a positive experience, he did not see it as any sort of real progress. He felt it was more like a random walk. Ernie conceded the apparent randomness, but claimed even that can generate forward progress, with the right filter (a la Maxwell's daemon). To clarify his thinking, David claimed that relational problems are like speed bumps: there is us...
2020-12-0329 min
Discipling By JesusTaking Advantage of TedAfter several weeks of intense conversations, David and Ernie find themselves at loose ends. Ted has not only taken on the Producer role (with David as Director and Ernie as Writer), but proposed a new format to experiment with in Season 6. That, plus a relatively uneventful Season Finale, means that the Dynamic Duo have nothing urgent to argue about.Rather that quit early, they take up David's suggestion to simply share about their lives. Ernie shares about his COVID utopia of being able to stay home with his family rather than driving 2.5 hours a day for school a...
2020-11-2641 min
Discipling By JesusMake the Call, with Ted Hahs (A Spiritual Issue, Part 3)Ernie proposes a structure for The Great Reset with Ted as Producer, David as Director, and Ernie as the Writer. Unfortunately, David is not impressed with the part Ernie has written for him on the coming Tuesday. Ernie is frustrated that David isn't onboard with his creative vision. And everything is complicated by the unresolved questions from last week. How will Ted make sense of it all? And what will they finally end up doing?ReferencesAutomated TranscriptEpisode 27: A Spiritual Issue, Part 1Episode 28: I Don't Understand (A Spiritual Issue, Part 2)TGR-S5E7 Jobs to Be Do...
2020-11-2546 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceA Bias Toward CommunityBruce responds to last week's question by coming firmly down on the side of local communities as the primary unit of autonomy, with the proviso that individuals have the freedom to move among communities. Prabhakar concurred, and again suggested Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age as a useful starting point for imaging a world of tight-knit tribes ("phyles") embedded in a Common Economic Protocol to coordinate coexistence.This led to the question of what values Bruce would want to build his Phyle around. Bruce started with a commitment to avoid orphaning users. Ernie conceded that is a noble go...
2020-11-2029 min
Discipling By JesusI Don't Understand (A Spiritual Issue, Part 2)After 20 minutes of chatting and context, David and Ernie resume their discussion from Part 1 on Christ-like leadership, this time with Janet acting as moderator. The goal was not so much to reach agreement, but help them understand why exactly they disagreed. While the conversation was often passionate and occasionally blunt, both parties expressed sincere appreciation for the other's sincerity, thoughtfulness, and commitment to working things out.The dialogue covered some heavy ground, including the relationship between power and authority, the good and bad senses of "justifying sin", and whether it is fair to say Christ "f...
2020-11-201h 57
Discipling By JesusA Spiritual Issue, Part 1This week Ernie turns the tables and offers up a critique of David's style of leadership. David defends his approach based on its effectiveness, and the fact that he doesn't find Ernie's alternatives particularly compelling. This seems to mark the end of their two-week experiment of David leading the meetings, especially given how Ernie overrode David's decision to call out Bill's negativity last Tuesday. In a surprise twist, though, Ernie invoked Matthew 18 and suggested they bring in Janet to mediate. David objected to characterizing their disagreement as "sin". Ernie acknowledged that most people didn't share his positive view...
2020-11-201h 36Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceA Test of VirtueThe Ernests pick up the conversation about how to test whether we are living up to our values by focusing on Bruce's recent tweet about Trump. Bruce mentioned that while he tries to love everyone, he has no love for haters, and hates Trump. Prabhakar pointed out this makes him a hater, which implies he doesn't love himself!More generally, this raises an issue Prabhakar has been wrestling with on his other podcast: the tension between wanting our viewpoint to be validating and serving a higher purpose. In particular, we humans have evolved sophisticated (if imperfect) heuristics to...
2020-11-1348 min
Discipling By JesusAssimilationIn this wide-ranging conversion, Ernie and Janet touch on:The upside and downside of having powerful mental frameworksApples of Gold's Seeker/Helper modelConcerns vs NeedsDesign vs TrainingStudying vs Assimilating ScriptureReferencesAutomated TranscriptApples of Gold (Hope and Change for Humpty Dumpty)There is no User Error, only Bad Design (Harry Stevens)What the Bible says about Assimilation/ Feeding Process (BibleTools)
2020-11-1257 min
Discipling By JesusMost Valuable MiracleAfter a long and winding road, David and Ernie were able to affirm:The most important thing is Loving More Like JesusThe next important thing is tools to help us Love More Like JesusThere aren't any great answers for what will do thatThe best way to develop such tools is iterating around Revelation, Reason, and ExperienceErnie then shared his belief that hierarchical authority structures are fatally flawed because they discourage the very authenticity and humility necessary for growing in love. David conceded those problems, but challenged Ernie's exclusive focus on non-hierarchical alternatives. Surprisingly, Ernie conceded the...
2020-11-121h 15
Discipling By JesusUntying LoadsAs a follow-on to yesterday's The Great Reset (and preparation for next week's), Ernie asked about Ted's concerns, which seemed to mirror those that Steve had. Ted identified two things that concerned him about Ernie, which he was surprised that Ernie didn't already see:How defensively Ernie reacted when Steve rebuked himErnie's negativity towards authorityFor the first, Ernie was initially surprised that Ted saw his reaction as defensive. Upon reflection, Ernie granted that it would have been better if he had simply acknowledged Steve's strong feelings and asked for clarification, rather than demanding follow-through. By the same...
2020-11-121h 03Datocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceCore ValuesThis week the Ernests attempted to build up a list of which core values should guide our decisions, e.g:Universal Justice (versus Tribalism/Elitism): everyone should be subject to the same rulesAccountable AuthoritiesHealthy Trust (versus Blind Faith)Appropriate Consequences (neither Cruel nor Lax)The Truth (versus Privacy, at least for the Powerful)While it may be difficult to make these value absolutes, we generally agreed the world would be better if there was more of this and less of their opposite.Bruce then questioned how we would create "unit tests" for these values, which...
2020-11-0855 min
Discipling By JesusIndividual FeelingsErnie and Bill continue processing last week's discussion on The Great Reset. Ernie starts by confessing that he was so focused on working through his own reaction that he was blind to the fears and questions that many others in the group also had. Bill shares his own frustration that people seemed concerned about their own needs rather than those of the group. Ernie pointed out that a lot of this is due to "WEIRD" culture (Western Educated Industrialized Rich Democracies), and the challenge is to evangelize (and redeem) that culture without first requiring people to give up...
2020-11-0747 min
Discipling By JesusYou Have One TeacherErnie and Janet wrestle with the strong (if perhaps metaphorical) language Jesus uses about the dangers of human titles and authority. What is He trying to warn us against? Have we accidentally reinvented the systems Jesus condemned? And even if we agree with Him, how do we un-train ourselves from all the worldly habits we have acquired?ReferencesAutomated TranscriptMatthew 23
2020-11-0549 min
Discipling By JesusA Little Upset at YouAt the end of this season's Episode 4 of "The Great Reset", David suggested the group dedicate time to processing The Incident from Episode 1. They both agree it would be ideal if Steve could be part of that. But even if not, Ernie acknowledged that there are larger issues that the group needs to discuss. And that David was right that we owe it to the group to acknowledge their concerns, rather than putting them off indefinitely.However, Ernie admitted that part of his reluctance was that he didn't know how to host a frank yet constructive conversation if...
2020-11-051h 18
Discipling By JesusFollow/Apply/Obey (The Holy Spirit)Robby shares his evolving perspective on key terms for how we related to Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Scripture:followapplyobeyabidefigure outReferencesAutomated TranscriptDiscipled by ScripturePirate's Code (Disney Wiki)John 21:17 (TPT)John 21:17 (Interlinear)
2020-11-0339 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceAuthentic versus PrincipledThis week we riff on last week's acknowledgement that Bruce's desire for self-expression overwhelmed his anti-Facebook principles. Prabhakar asserted that this is a fundamental problem in the design of social systems. In the short-run, everything is simpler if people comply with pro-social principles. But in the long-run, if people aren't free to be their authentic selves, both individuals and societies become extremely unhealthy.This highlights the fact that no individual fully expresses the values we aspire towards, so we must appeal to some kind of transcendence. As well as someone we all trust to speak on behalf of...
2020-10-3048 min
Discipling By JesusCode of ConductThis week Ernie and David go around and around on whether:To be worried about the recent drop-off in attendance on The Great ResetWe need an explicit code of conductIt is more dangerous to study scripture with or without an agenda"Love More Like Jesus" is a sufficient statement of purposeErnie is merely inarticulate or deliberately deceptive about his goalsDavid finally agreed to put that last point to the test by identifying "what your secret cows are, put them up as suggestions for the group, then watch you try to deny them." Or at least let u...
2020-10-3059 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceMother-Forking Season 2Bruce penned his article out of outrage at sexism and Trump's moves towards autocracy. The title was chosen to affirm female sexuality for pleasure and connection, rather than just procreation. It also captured his anger at people who believe in a deity, which he considers equivalent to "fake science" and complicit in the subjugation of women and the election of Trump.To avoid loaded terms like "science" and "religion", Prabhakar suggested the terms "good faith" and "bad faith" -- or "adaptive" vs "maladaptive" beliefs -- to reflect the core virtue of adapting our beliefs to address the da...
2020-10-2357 min
Discipling By JesusWho Are You?Ernie leads off by asking his three favorite questions:What do you wantWhat do you fearWhat price are you wiling to payJanet's chief desire is to Love More Like Jesus (or equivalently to draw closer to Him). Her fear is self-sabotage, and she is willing to pay the price of discipline to overcome that.This led to an extended discussion on the apparent necessity of suffering for spiritual (and emotional) maturity. They identified three types of suffering (circumstantial, voluntary, and inflicted), as well as how those categories sometimes blur as we mature. W...
2020-10-2239 min
Discipling By JesusFrom HEK to DIP: Monastic ComplexityIn his latest attempt to explain his vision of The Great Reset, Ernie lists three ways his vision differs from monastic (and by implication evangelical) spirituality:Decentralized vs HierarchicalIncarnate vs ExtractivePractice vs KnowledgeDavid was very helpful in teasing out shared definition of words, to the point where they seemed to reach at least a basic level of understanding. Is this stable enough to form a foundation for future discussions? Stay tuned to find out! ReferencesAutomated TranscriptBenedectine OrderThe Rule of Ernest the Sinner
2020-10-2251 min
Discipling By JesusRe-Discovering Bible StudyErnie is joined by two old friends from his Pasadena days who work in missions. They are both enthusiastic proponents and practitioners of Discovery Bible Study (DBS). DBS has been used successfully with hundreds of disciple-making movements, although (at least until recently) they have not had much success in a Western context.Could this be the tool The Great Reset needs for "vulnerably encountering Jesus by obeying Scripture together?" Is this the tool Jesus wants to use to free us from Western intellectualism so we can read with our heart, soul, and strength, not just our mind? Wha...
2020-10-161h 03
Discipling By JesusOn Purpose with David JohnsonErnie and David both share their excitement at the strong emotion shared during last week's episode of The Great Reset, though Ernie was more upbeat in his assessment of how well the group did (and would) handle the conflict. David reiterated his concern that both the conflict itself, and the difficulty the group has handling it, stem from a lack of clarity around the group's purpose.After going around and around about the supposed difficulty of defining novel relational experiences, David joked that he could do better. When Ernie jumped on that, he conceded that it would...
2020-10-1559 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceBeyond Moral SuperiorityOn his birthday, Prabhakar shares his attempt to found a community where moral authority doesn't require assuming moral superiority. Most societies and institutions seem to rest on the illusion that those at the top are intrinsically more "right" than those who follow, typically due to status games based on birth, wealth, education, or expertise. Surprisingly, even followers seem as dependent to the illusion as leaders, perhaps because it allows them to avoid responsibility for many choices.The alternative is to apply the same sort of "hackability" to leadership as Bruce wanted for systems, by creating a status g...
2020-10-0933 min
Discipling By JesusBack to the BibleErnie and Janet review recent discussions with The Great Reset, and Janet shares how transformational Scripture has been in her own life. Ernie confesses his uncertainty how to study the Bible in a way that leads to obedience, rather than mere knowledge. Janet pitches the Bible Project, which leads to a discussion of the ongoing transition from static linear curriculum to adaptive ad-hoc feeds. How will this play out on Season 5 of The Great Reset? Stay tuned to find out!ResourcesAutomated TranscriptRomans 12:1-2The Bible ProjectWalk through the BibleBible Storying
2020-10-0847 min
Discipling By Jesus110% On BoardErnie and David finally manage to articulate a problem that they both care deeply about: helping larger groups of Jesus-followers practice the type of authenticity and accountability usually only seen in intimate fellowship groups. David wonders if this is hard because leaders see it as their job to preserve the integrity of the institution. He sees this as something requiring generational change, whereas Ernie claims this requires more structural reformation. Can they build on this insight to come up with a Grand Solution for The Great Reset that will satisfy Ted? Or will they get mired down inthe...
2020-10-0857 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceMoral AuthorityLast week we discussed the tension between loyalty and mobility within communities. This week we talked about moral authority as the key factor in helping communities evolve, especially when facing a crisis. This is especially poignant for us, if we are trying to start a movement to live out these ideas.We identified four phases in the birth of a movement, using the American Revolution as a role model:Artists: Original thinkers who introduce inspiring ideas (Montesquieu. Thomas Paine)Men of Letters: Like-minded communities who build a shared vision of the future (Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson)M...
2020-10-0229 min
Discipling By JesusAll the Right MistakesJanet and Ernie discuss her attempts to adapt Dr. Gary Sweeten's Apples of Gold relational training during Season 4 of The Great Reset. They both agreed it was an incredible learning experience, but Ernie felt that one of the key learnings was that the "education" paradigm does not work well for a peer group of adults. Instead, he advocated re-integrating content around concrete problems the "user" cares about, rather than trying to aggregate users around a pre-defined curriculum.ReferencesAutomated TranscriptRelational Practice (TGR-S4E3)FishBowl Dialogue (DJ+EP)Edutainment (Wikipedia)The Bible Project (Videos)TedEd (Youtube Channel)A...
2020-10-0143 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceMobility versus LoyaltyThis week Bruce opens the episode talking about the importance of mobility: the freedom to leave a community if the leaders start violating the original principles. Prabhakar agrees, but adds that a) too much freedom to exit discourages people from resolving conflict, and b) sometimes the original principles no longer reflect what the community needs to thrive. Bruce suggests that we should instead focus on the larger Purpose of the community (what Prabhakar calls Vision) more than the current Principles (or Values). Prabhakar likes that formulation, but suggests even more important is developing the skill of learning how to ev...
2020-09-2630 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceOmni-CulturalismLast week we discussed Seth Godin's claim that "industrialism" (the drive to make everything cheaper) is the main cause of modern misery, and in fact underlies our obsession with race, caste, and class. In particular, Seth calls on us to make industry subservient to culture, rather than cheapening our culture for the sake of industry.This week Bruce builds on that to outline his vision of a "hackable and forkable" world, where everyone has the ability (at least in principle) to maintain and customize the essential systems they depend upon. Bruce adds that people should be free to...
2020-09-1147 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceOut CastePeople invested in the current Caste System vote against their "selfish" interests in order to propagate the system, even if on a lower rung. Why?The risk of losing status from critiquing the systemRevolutions often failEven successful revolutions rarely improve most people's situationIs the likely benefit greater than the likely cost, especially given great uncertainty?How do we get people to view their selves and their group identity differently? Coercion? Argument? Persuasion? And how do we guard against the risk of us accidentally making things worse?Automated Transcript (TBD)IGWET (www.igwet.com)Hope and Change f...
2020-09-0441 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceCaste PartyPrabhakar affirms Wilkerson's thesis that caste is a richer framework for explaining America's troubled history of racism; especially post-Civil Rights where strict pigmentation-based racism has been replaced by more nuanced forms of discrimination. However, he argues that America is actually now a dual-caste system.The original "nativist" caste system that harkens back to the Founding Fathers is alive and well. That focus on race, religion, and riches has become the backbone of the Republican Party since the days of Ronald Reagan.However, he claims the Democratic Party is just as wedded to a second "cosmopolitan" ca...
2020-08-2926 min
Discipling By JesusHealing Divided Hearts with Steve FairHeartSync is a powerful ministry that helps people bring their deepest pain into a transformational encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. Steve joins Ernie to discuss how he discovered HeartSync while writing his book, and how this fuels their shared passion for seeing Jesus bring unity to a fragmented world.Automated TranscriptSeven Mountains (Generals International)Renewal Christian Counseling Center (Steve Fair)Journey into the Divided Heart Book (Amazon)HeartSync Ministries (Father Andrew Miller)Morningstar Ministries (Rick Joyner)
2020-08-2947 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceEarnestly Asked QuestionsLast episode, Prabhakar shared the manifesto for www.igwet.com, his new platform for transformational communities. This week Bruce asks a number of pointed questions about those bold claims...The IGWET EAQ"communities seeking positive change"what is positive change?what is negative change?who decides?"ad-hoc groups build up trust"how is trust built-up? in each persons mind?how does a community or an individual keep track of the trust it has on each trusted entity?"relational practices" -> "open source spirituality"how do shared practices reflect spirituality?how do values and ideals translate into...
2020-08-2336 min
Discipling By JesusPrototypical LeadershipBill and Ernie geek about how JavaScript's prototypical style of object inheritance is more adaptive and flexible than class-based inheritance (even if ECMAScript 6 gives in on that point). What would it take to move The Great Reset, and civilization, in that same non-hierarchical direction?
2020-08-1527 min
Discipling By JesusDeep RepentanceErnie shares the "inconvenient truth" he has been wrestling with: Is caste, and seeking an advantage for our children, at the root of systemic racism? Are all our Christian institutions founded on the belief that "there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval?"And if that is true, what path do we have to walk in order to bring the Body of Christ to repentance and unity? And can we do it without insisting on confession?ReferencesIt's More Than Racism: Isabel Wilkerson Explains America's 'Caste' SystemThe 9.9 Pe...
2020-08-1440 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceAgainst HierarchyFor this episode, Prabhakar announces IGWET, his long-awaited website (and manifesto) that he claims will save civilization from itself. He frames this as a platform for emergent decentralized networks to outcompete the top-down hierarchies that have created -- and corrupted -- the world we live in. ReferencesAutomated TranscriptIGWET: Interconnecting Groups for Whole-Earth TransformationThe End of Bureaucracy, Again?Freedom, Permissionless Innovation, and a Successful InternetOriginal Position (John Rawls)
2020-08-1439 min
Discipling By JesusChanging the World from ScratchErnie and Ted reflect on how The Great Reset is progressing against its (admittedly audacious) goal of ushering in the millennium, by prototyping new structures for bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. Can we pull off a scalable Silicon Valley miracle through the power of the Holy Spirit, and good design?ReferencesAutomated TranscriptTGR-S3E6: Re-Cognition of DiscipleshipDecentralized Networks#DecenterCivilizationPermissionless Innovation
2020-08-1236 min
Discipling By JesusAccidental Circumcision with Eric C.While debriefing on Steven McGgriff's sermon on his African-American heritage, Ernie was:Struck by how much a) "white supremacy" is about cultural domination, not just race, b) when part of the dominant culture, we don't notice how much our heritage shapes our identity away from Christ, and c) class can be just as deadly a distortion as race, but (in America) is far less visible.Eric responded:As a missionary I think aspects of culture can be shared generously with other cultures; not for domination. For example: antibiotics, university education, hospitals, better nutrition and sanitation technology...
2020-08-1052 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceOpen Source SpiritualityIn order to create a more humane civilization, we need people to voluntarily enroll in decentralized pro-social status games. That appears to the only way to avoid the extremes of either fragmenting into atomic tribes or being enslaved by corrupt institutions. Prabhakar notes how the nodejs package manager (npm) has enabled the JavaScript community to (mostly) avoid the "religious" wars that have plagued other open source projects. The key was to standardize on a modular interface and culture for sharing functionality, rather than a monolithic and opinionated process for delivering a final product. This focus on fine-grained pee...
2020-08-0741 min
Discipling By JesusChasing StewardshipBill shares his long-running frustration that most people and churches don't seem to ever seriously consider Paul's teaching in Romans 15:14:I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them.In particular, he felt that we spend too much time focusing on "better leaders" as the solution for all our problems, versus at least trying to explore superior "leaderless" models.Ernie challenged Bill to come up with a clearer critique that acknowledged that a) we are...
2020-08-0159 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceReprogramming HumanityIn an ironic twist, Prabhakar suggest that Bruce's formal specialty at Apple -- creating technical documentation -- might actually be the key to saving civilization!We have been wrestling with how to bootstrap scalable pro-social behavior (aka positive-sum status games) in the absence of a top-down authority to set and enforce standards (which often starts out well, but always ends up corrupted by self-interest, even if unconscious).Prabhakar experienced the pain of this first hand when his 7/28 pitch to The Great Reset devolved into unproductive arguments over the term "system." On the one hand, he...
2020-07-3035 min
Discipling By JesusShould I be Elated or Embarrassed?https://2transform.us/2020/07/28/tgr-s3e4-systemic-redemption/S3E4 was an unusually challenging episode, as we seemed unable to agree even on the appropriate terminology for what we were discussed. Ernie shared how a big part of our "experiment in public discipleship" is trying to find a middle path between "top-down bible teaching" and "unstructured social club." This arguably was a good example of having gone too far in the "unstructured" direction, and thus provides a great opportunity to clarify what we are about.The most common request we have had is to move beyond talking to...
2020-07-2942 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernancePro-Social NetworksTo create a new system encompassing all of humanity, we need a platform that allows people to experiment with a wide range of ideologies, yet makes it easy to reward pro-social behavior (and discourage the opposite). This is even more challenging when we are trying to build a completely-open, decentralized system that anyone can participate in.The best we can hope for is design interfaces and governance that make it easier to do things that help people, and harder to do things that harm them. In particular, it requires striking a balance between, e.g.:Anonymity v...
2020-07-2441 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceBootstrapping Empathy: You Say You Want a Revolution?This episode marks an inflection point. Philosophy -- "an unusually stubborn attempt to think clearly" -- is essential when contemplating a new enterprise. But at some point we must stop thinking and start doing. And the only thing worth doing, for a shift this radical, is: Revolution!In particular, every revolution starts with a small group of people inspired to work together for a better future. Prabhakar outlines four possible paths to take -- Politics, Art, Religion, Commerce (PARC) -- as well as the downsides associated with each. He also invited Bruce to a Design Review with his...
2020-07-1648 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDemocratizing TechnologyIn our conversation around how to create a more humane civilization, we discussed the important of creating status games that promote pro-social behavior within and between communities. However, we still have to ensure people in other communities are playing fairly. We ended last episode discussing how Masnick's Impossibility Theorem implied it was impossible to have perfectly effective oversight, but better Information Technology could help us do far better.In this episode Bruce articulates his vision of how technology should serve users -- not just creators; and Prabhakar discusses his startup that attempted to do just that.
2020-07-1047 min
Discipling By JesusIterative ExperimentationTed and Ernie reflect on the raw authenticity of Season 1 and explore what is the right way pray for miracles. Can anything of practical value be accomplished in a one hour Zoom call? Is praying for urgent requests useful for people who might watch it on YouTube much later? How do we avoid getting bogged down in merely intellectual speculation?
2020-07-1024 min
Discipling By JesusAngry at You, in a Good WayThis conversation took place after Season 2 of The Great Reset, where our discussion on Education was overshadowed by the killing of George Floyd. We both agree that systemic racism is a huge problem. But does that guarantee that the proposed political reforms will solve it? Or might they unintentionally make things worse for large swaths of the population, as arguably happened with previous reforms?Ernie proposed Steven co-construct a spinoff of The Great Reset to provide a safe place to ask and attempt to answer these hard questions; ideally with a man from a more 'traditional' African-American bac...
2020-07-0337 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceDemocracy as Information OverloadDecentralized Systems (compared Top-down and bottom-up design)Tangled Hierarchy (Heterarchy)Delegated Voting (Revocable Proxy)Information ArchitectureMasnick's Impossibility Theorem (Why Content Filtering Always Sucks)
2020-07-0241 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernancePositive-Sum Status GamesOnce we acknowledge that relationships are part of what make us human, we must deal with the reality of status games.The best we can hope for is for a culture that rewards the creation, recognition, and normalization of the most positive-sum games over neutral or negative ones.https://radicalcentrism.org/manifesto/
2020-06-1146 minDatocracy: In Search of Generative GovernanceAn Ideal SocietyCan we do better than capitalism and marxism? What would an ideal society look like?
2020-06-0456 min
Discipling By JesusDisrupting EducationThis episode was inspired by an energetic chat thread during a sermon from #Mosaic #ErwinMcManus #YouBelongHere:THE POWER OF INFLUENCE - The Path To Inner Peace | Erwin McManushttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdTQX249mm8McManus challenged us to not worry about status or position: if we do what God puts in our hearts, He will provide the necessary resources.This led to a discussion of Steve's desire ("need") to find a stable job in higher education, and Ernie's suggestion he "turn pro" with his desire to mentor y...
2020-05-1856 min
Discipling By JesusThe Weirdest Conversation in the History of Western CivilizationThis discussion took place soon after Steven joined The Great Reset YouTube channel, on Episode 3:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HhtfcR0E4Q&list=PLhywephDDhwY5XntaBDQDDDrR_m9ULNJV&index=3The episode ends abruptly because -- during one of Ernie's monologues -- Steven's phone literally overheated so much, and crashed so hard, he literally had to place it in the freezer to cool it down. ReferencesCOVID-19 PandemicRule of St BenedictMonastic schoolsRené Girard (mimetic desire)
2020-05-0641 min