Now that I've made the first official post launching Domino Theory I would like to explain a little more about what this is all about...
- This blog will evolve over time into a website where "Topples" can be started, be tracked, and discussed.
- I will share my thoughts about Domino Theory - a conceptual framework I'm developing for "setting big things in motion."
A little history...
In November of 2000, I left XOR Inc. after nearly ten years of building it from scratch with my good friend Trent Hein. It was a bitter sweet "exit," and I spent the next several months thinking about what I wanted to do when I "grew up" (I was 32 years old and had started XOR while still in college). I considered everything from dedicating my life to philanthropic work, to becoming a high school band teacher, to starting a company that built software for managing "the edge" of a cell phone carrier's wireless network. I felt very fortunate to be in a position where I could "think big." But, a funny thing happened along the way. The bigger the idea, the more I thought to myself: Gee, pursuing that path would pretty much mean compromising other things that are important to me (i.e. time with my friends and family, have a stable financial situation, etc.). So, I started to shy away from the "change the world" ideas, and felt rather sad about it.
Then in 2002 while attending The Telluride Tech Festival, I began thinking about how little actions could set big things in motion. I called it "Domino Theory" and a few days later typed up my thoughts on the drive back from Telluride (don't worry, Trent was driving). A few months later I created the "Tech Fest Scholarship" for computer science students at the University of Colorado as an experiment in "setting something in motion." [I'll discuss this scholarship in more detail in a future post.] Also around that time I was running a management consulting company called Kalos Strategy Group, and I started to bring the Domino concepts to leadership coaching and organizational development. Honestly, not much came of that, and Domino Theory hung out in the background for me for a few years.
Around March of this year (2007) I started finding myself thinking about Domino Theory more and more. I began writing again, wondering where it was all heading. My thoughts included: blogging about Domino Theory, creating a non-profit organization to promote the concepts, reviving the scholarship, creating a website for tracking topples, possibly writing a book, creating leadership development programs based on Domino Theory, teaching kids about Domino Theory by bringing buckets of dominoes to schools, imprinting dominoes with messages that could be passed from person to person, and many other ideas (and they're still coming).
Since that time it's been like a "calling" and pieces have been falling into place such that I'm now ready to take things to the next level. Exactly what that means, I honestly don't know. I'm a little afraid to develop it out in the open like
this, but I'm not going to let that get in the way. I'll just write what comes to mind, and watch the dominoes topple. It's a work in progress. I hope others will enjoy following along and helping me do what's necessary to make Topple #0000001 a reality.
I want to thank all my new friends that I met while attending the Three Day Intensive Equine Experience at Miraval. In each of your own ways you give me the courage to not let my fears and self doubt get in the way. But, even more importantly I want to thank my wonderful wife and best friend Terry, who has always been supportive of my wacky adventures.
Now for the fun stuff... Domino Theory is about setting big things in motion, and as these videos show, there are some amazingly talented people out there doing this with real dominoes. Just think how much planning, patience, and skill it must take to set one of these topples up. And then the excitement of tipping the first domino!
Here's my current favorite video of an HUGE domino topple. I especially like the cheesy music. Warning, it's a bit long.
Another favorite, and much shorter, without cheesy music is this one:
Enjoy!!!!
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