#260 One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization

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Aug 3, 2022

The speaker reflects on their courageous leap from a successful career at Visa to pursue deeper meaning in life. They honor Dee Hock's revolutionary ideas that blend order and chaos in organizations. The narrative dives into the chaotic beginnings of the credit card industry, highlighting resilience and ethical challenges. It explores transformative leadership and the evolution of money perception. Personal anecdotes illustrate the importance of embracing failure for growth, emphasizing the journey from traditional to innovative business practices.

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ANECDOTE

Hock's Influence

David Senra reread Dee Hock's books after Hock's passing.
He considers Hock's writings invaluable for founders.

INSIGHT

Hock's Vision

Dee Hock's brilliance lay in recognizing the need for a new organizational structure for a global payment system.
His outsider perspective and first-principles thinking allowed him to see what others missed.

ANECDOTE

Humble Beginnings

Dee Hock grew up poor in rural Utah, without indoor plumbing.
His parents emphasized the fewness of wants, teaching him valuable life lessons.

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Let my people go surfing

The Education of a Reluctant Businessman

Yvon Chouinard

This book tells the story of Yvon Chouinard, who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life. It details his journey from his youth as the son of a French Canadian handyman to his ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for climbing equipment. The book also explores how Chouinard built Patagonia into one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies, emphasizing the importance of sustainability, personal growth, and unconventional business practices.

Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary

Linus Torvalds

David Diamond

This book chronicles Linus Torvalds' life from his childhood in Finland to his development of the Linux operating system. It offers a personal and engaging narrative about his journey as a programmer and his impact on the tech world. The book is a mix of humor and insight into the mind of a technological visionary.

Chronicles

Volume One (Chronicles)

Bob Dylan

In *Chronicles: Volume One*, Bob Dylan reflects on pivotal moments in his life and career. The book takes readers through his early days in Greenwich Village in 1961, describing a city full of possibilities, including smoky parties, literary awakenings, and lasting friendships. Dylan also recounts his experiences in New Orleans, Woodstock, Minnesota, and other places, offering an intimate and personal account of his journey. The memoir is characterized by Dylan's distinctive American voice, which is generous, engaged, fanciful, and rhythmic, reflecting his storytelling gifts and expressive style[1][4][5].

Autobiography of a Restless Mind

Reflections on the Human Condition

Dee Hock

Autobiography of a Restless Mind is a diverse collection of observations and reflections written over twenty-five years. It offers witty, wise, and profound insights reminiscent of Aurelius, Montaigne, Lao-Tse, and Bacon. The book is a classic that explores the human condition with depth and clarity.

Autobiography of a Restless Mind

Reflections on the Human Condition

Dee Hock

One From Many

VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization

Dee Hock

This book is a personal and institutional story that delves into the transformation of organizations and society. Dee Hock chronicles his journey from a humble upbringing to becoming the first President of VISA International, highlighting the challenges and innovations that led to the creation of VISA. The book explores the concept of 'chaordic' organizations, which combine chaos and order, and discusses their potential to address complex societal and environmental problems. It also reflects on Hock's lifelong search for answers to questions about institutional failure, individual alienation, and societal disarray, offering insights into leadership, organizational health, and the future of human systems in harmony with nature.

Sam Walton

Made in America

John Huey

Sam Walton

In 'Sam Walton: Made in America,' Sam Walton shares his personal and professional journey, from his early life in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, to the founding and expansion of Walmart. The book is a first-person account supplemented by quotes from friends, family, and colleagues. It highlights Walton's core values, such as the importance of hard work, customer satisfaction, and competitive pricing. The autobiography also provides insights into Walton's leadership style, his approach to business, and the lessons he learned throughout his career. The book was published posthumously in 1993 and offers a compelling and inspiring look at the life of one of America's most successful entrepreneurs.

What I learned from rereading One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization by Dee Hock.

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Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.com

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[2:00] I feel compelled to open my life to new possibilities.

[2:54] Life is a magnificent, mysterious Odyssey to be experienced.

[3:12] One From Many (Founders #42)

[3:30] Autobiography of a Restless Mind: Reflections on the Human Condition Volume 1 by Dee Hock and Autobiography of a Restless Mind: Reflections on the Human Condition Volume 2 by Dee Hock

[5:12] Patrick Collison tweet on Dee Hock

[7:51] He thought from first principles and questioned everything, even down to the nature of money itself.

[8:26] He saw a better way of doing things and he didn't listen to folks who said it couldn't be done.

[9:32] Today's magic was yesterday's dream.

[13:27] Chaordic 1. The behavior of any self-organizing, self-governing, organ, organization, or system that harmoniously exhibits characteristics of both order and chaos. 2. Patterned by chaos and order in a way not dominated by either. 3. Blending of diversity, chaos, complexity and order characteristic of the fundamental organizing principles of evolution and nature.

[17:05] That Hock boy is a little strange, he'll read anything.

[23:01] None of it seemed demeaning. It was life. It was making a living. It was what proud men did without whining.

[24:14] 76 year old Dee Hock describing the 20 year old version of Dee Hock: Thus, at twenty, newly married, unemployed, eager to learn but averse to being taught, emerged an absurdly naive, idealistic, young man—an innocent lamb hunting the lion of life. The hungry lion was swift to pounce.

[30:39] If you don’t zero in on your bureaucracy every so often, you will naturally build in layers. You never set out to add bureaucracy. You just get it. Period. Without even knowing it. So you always have to be looking to eliminate it. — Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton (Founders #234)

[31:57] In industrial age organizations purpose slowly erodes into process.

[34:29] Excellence is the capacity to take pain.

[38:41] You can't make a good deal with a bad person.

[39:48] Stubborn opinionated, unorthodox, rebellious.

[41:31] With three young children, a heavily mortgaged house, no job, little money in reserve, it was impossible to stay out of a dismal swamp of depression. Day after day, I walked the woods in misting Northwest rain. My constant companion was an overwhelming feeling of failure. What was wrong with me?

[42:51] There would be no more intense commitment to work.

[43:55] He's got an intense commitment to life!

[45:38] Use your brain but follow your heart.

[53:52] When I die and go to hell, the devil is going to make me the marketing director for a cola company. I’ll be in charge of trying to sell a product that no one needs, is identical to its competition, and can’t be sold on its merits. I’d be competing head-on in the cola wars, on price, distribution, advertising, and promotion, which would indeed be hell for me. — Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard (Founders #18)

[55:56] Focus on how your product or company ought to be and nothing else.

[57:28] Business Breakdowns Visa: The Original Protocol Business

[58:10] Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary by Linus Torvalds and David Diamond (Founders #176)

[1:02:40] His Oh Shit! Moment

[1:06:12] He had a passionate commitment to the ideas that bordered on zealotry.

[1:06:39] There were dozens of times when I longed to quit. What prevented me is not entirely clear.

[1:06:58] Possibility can never be determined by opinion, only by attempt.

[1:07:26] What kept me going remains a mystery. It doesn't really matter for there was an inexpressible sense that in some profound non-physical way existence would lose meaning if I did not persist.

[1:10:03] Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan (Founders #259)

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