Work in Progress: A Midnight Stream of Consciousness – The Concerns Keeping Me Awake
Where to begin? “No Man is an Island” – a motto from Perton First School when I joined in 1985, a phrase that has lingered in my memory. At four years old, I definitely couldn’t grasp its profound significance, but now, it resonates deeply.
My current frustration stems from the stark affordability crisis in modern society, coupled with the glaring wealth inequality between those born into generational wealth and those starting from unequal footing. It’s disheartening to see a society that mirrors a quasi-feudal pyramid system, where the privilege to think and create is reserved for a few. The cost of merely maintaining an existence, especially in places like London, is exorbitant.
Before diving deeper into this discourse, I acknowledge my own position – a white, British, middle-aged man – and the inherent privileges that come with it. Yet, the issues I raise affect me too, but I have to remind myself to stay grounded in reality.
Governments should play a pivotal role in fostering a fairer society, one where opportunities are equally distributed, and destiny is shaped by passion, knowledge, and a sprinkle of luck. Unfortunately, our current political system falls short, plagued by elitism, nepotism, and cronyism. It should truly be “of the people, for the people.”
Even the educational divide gives us a stark insight into the main problem with society, the elite top 7% of the UK population are privately educated. Private school pupils earn 35% more than their state educated peers even by age 25, research from UCL Institute of Education (IOE) has found. They disproportionately occupy top positions across various sectors. This imbalance extends to Parliament, the judiciary, the media, and beyond, painting a grim picture of social mobility and equality.
- Senior judges – 65%
- Civil Service permanent secretaries – 59%
- The House of Lords – 57%
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office diplomats – 52%
Despite these challenges, there are individuals and organisations striving to shift the balance, advocating for genuine social mobility from birth to the workplace, and leadership of society. Their voices echo the need for systemic change, aiming to ensure every young person has a fair shot at success, irrespective of their background.
Reflecting on my journey with the Ministry of Startups, a venture that sought to democratise access to affordable workspace for early-stage startups, social enterprises, and small businesses, I feel a mix of pride and sadness. We managed to create something truly impactful, offering unparalleled access to resources and space at minimal cost. Yet, the pandemic’s unforgiving wave brought an end to our efforts.
Looking ahead, “Nomadhut” embodies my learnings and aspirations. It’s a vision for affordable co-living and coworking spaces across Europe, designed for the self-employed and startup founders. Our mission is to break down the barriers to entry, fostering a community where creativity and entrepreneurship can flourish without the burden of high costs.
This vision oddly draws inspiration from organisations like the YHA, which emerged as a beacon of hope during the Great Depression, offering young people a chance to escape the confines of urban life for the rejuvenating embrace of nature.
In closing, “No Man is an Island” rings truer than ever. I can’t do this alone, I’m not a natural born leader, just a human with a mission, like many I sometimes doubt myself. So I’m reaching out for help, guidance, and support to bring this vision to life. Whether it’s advice, contacts, or any form of assistance, your input is invaluable. Together, we can create something that truly makes a difference and allows me to exit the world whilst leaving it a tiny bit better than I found it.
Let’s build for the benefit of others and enjoy the journey together.
Version 1 below… you can hear me rant.
WIP… draft stream of consciousness @ 1am… What is currently causing me sleepless nights…
Where to start? No Man is an Island (the moto of Perton first school, when I joined 1985… some things stick in your mind, I don’t think I knew just how deep with meaning it was when I was 4!).
I’m frustrated by the lack of affordability in modern society, and the wealth inequality of those born into families of generational wealth vs those on an unequal footing… a society which feels like a quasi-feudal system, where to think and create is only for a privileged few, as to even stand still is costly, especially in London.
Before I continue with this rant I want to assure you that it’s not lost on me that even as a white, British, middle aged, male, with all the privilege that brings that even I am still having this rant, I feel this. I remind myself of this.
The role of Government in my opinion is meant to be there to ensure and encourage steps to a fairer society, a society of equal opportunity, where destiny is only determined by passion, knowledge and a dash of luck. Our government and political system are proving to be unfit for purpose, elitist and entrenched in nepotism and cronyism… it needs to be “of the people, for the people”.
A very select privileged few are privately educated (just 7% in the UK), yet they continue to hold an unproportionally high number of top jobs in the country. Overall 29% of current Members of Parliament come from a private school background, 4 times higher than the electorate they represent. The people holding top jobs, in politics, the media, the judiciary and business, are five times more likely to have been to private school than the general population (report by the Sutton Trust and the Social Mobility Commission).
- Senior judges – 65%
- Civil Service permanent secretaries – 59%
- The House of Lords – 57%
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office diplomats – 52%
Even within the arts the wealthiest members of the TV, film and music industries, a substantial number – 38% – attended independent schools with our best selling popstars at 30% and top actors at 44%.
The advantage is huge across the board, even by the age of 25 Privately educated pupils earn 35% more than the rest of us state educated plebs (research from UCL Institute of Education).
I am aware of many people trying to alter the balance, and some people articulate themselves so much better than I ever will… I think these words need to be forced to reverberate around Westminster “We fight for social mobility from birth to the workplace so that every young person – no matter who their parents are, what school they go to, or where they live – has the chance to succeed in life.” (Peter Lampl, the Sutton Trust)
So what can we do…
The Ministry of Startups (Born 1st April 2013 – Died 20th November 2020… my rolling month to month membership model meant that the pandemic really caused our business model problems, as soon as the first lockdown hit then it was always going to be a struggle the longer it went on), my previous company, provided affordable space for early stage startups, social enterprises, small businesses and charities. Across 25 buildings over an 8 year period we achieved some awesome things, sadly the challenges of working restrictions during the pandemic put us out of business. As a solo founder I started the company with £1,500 and eventually grew the company to having an annual revenue of nearly £1.5m. I had the opportunity to work with many great people and organisations.
However, what I’m really proud of is that we provided unlimited hot-desking with 24/7 access for £35 a month, with free access to kit, 3D printers, cameras, sound gear, podcast studios etc… I’m not aware of any other workspace in London or even the UK being even close to our price point. It was done with a purpose, to provide people with space to start work on their life’s work / dream. Our fixed deskspaces / small private offices were also well well below any of the alternative options, members were even telling me I should raise prices! (I didn’t. You might say that was daft, but I had a purpose and that felt enough… I just wanted us to provide more space to more people, I enjoyed it, and we did ok until the pandemic).
I believe in small business, they are more ‘human’ and better for the purpose of community and sustainability (both local and global).
So what next? “Nomadhut” will be taking what I have learned from everything I have done so far, and will be working towards two things:
Nomadhut “Work from home” coliving locations around europe. It will offer private and shared rooms, in a live / work buildings. The aim is to provide space to self employed and early stage startup founders at the most affordable price point we possibly can, my gut feel is we’ll be around the £250 pcm price point… we’ll be functional, ie the internet, monitors, desks, chairs and beds will be quality, the spaces will be environmentally and socially responsible, but most likely the spaces will not be boujie! its not my vibe and we need to operate within our means!
&
Nomadhut “coworking spaces” initially in London, for freelancers, self employed, and teams from 1-12 people… for up to 3 years. The project can’t work on me renting a building at normal rents, as the business model doesn’t stack up at the price point I want to charge (yes, I know that doesn’t make sense)… here is why and why!: I will be opening and sharing space at the same price, or less, than where I left off at Ministry of Startups: unlimited hot-desking @ £35 pcm and a fixed desk that starts at £100 pcm (rising slowly during the 3 years)… this won’t cover a normal rent on a building in London. However, if we want people to be able to start and grow companies then we need affordable space for creativity and entrepreneurial magic to happen. It’s really hard to start a business, especially without the resources afforded to some, but after 3 years they need to have found their feet, and therefore we can provide affordable space to someone else wanting to have a go! I want fairness and opportunity to be our core values. This one is outside of my gift, I need people with resources and vision to understand this and to help make it happen. I can only help drive it.
Things that are in my mind:
I love the vision and creation of the YHA: “YHA is a child of the Great Depression. The welfare of Britain’s growing urban population was a serious concern in the early 20th century. YHA’s offer of affordable accommodation was an antidote to the poor air quality, cramped housing and harsh conditions of inner city life. It gave young working people an unprecedented opportunity to spend leisure time in fresh air and open countryside, on a scale only previously possible for the wealthy.”
I recently started working part-time at UAL to rebuild my confidence, losing the company a spent nearly a decade growing hurt me more than I thought it would, yet the words of a person I’m yet to meet made me feel as though it was the right place for me to join “the world’s biggest factory for making trouble” (Grayson Perry, UAL Chancellor). Its really good to be surrounded by really smart people, I do miss the creativity and hustle / action of the startup world, so I have a plan to intertwine both in the work I do.
When we leave this beautiful planet we take no possessions, so lets focus on legacy and society, and build things for the benefit of others… and enjoy the ride!
“Legacy” it sounds, and probably is, very ego driven, but if the objective is for the benefit of the people, for the people, then who really cares.
So back to the beginning… No Man Is an Island… I need some help and guidance to make this happen, contacts, advice, support, anything! as I want it to helpful to the people who need it. So reach out if you think there’s something you can help with or that you think I can do better / change.
