It’s June 2340.  You’re about to retire.

You haven’t sold your business.  That doesn’t worry you.  No, not at all.   Because over the last 30 years of running your business, every decision you’ve ever made; every view you’ve ever held; every comment you’ve ever uttered and every single idea you’ve ever had, has been recorded in a database, along with full details of the circumstances in which you made, held, uttered or had them.

The database will run your business for you.  You’ll still be the Boss, you just won’t be there.

That’s probably just as well.

What if the circumstances never repeat?

What if your decisions, views and ideas could have been better?

What if you were just plain wrong?

A business is not an algorithm.

It’s an ecosystem of actions driven by values and emotions.  For making and keeping promises.  By humans to humans.   More than the sum of its parts.

Far too precious to hold on to for the sake of it.   And much more robust than you think it is.

Especially if you plan your disappearance beforehand.

 

HT to Bev Costoya for inspiring this.