fluidminds business revolutionaries is a Scandinavian company now focused on exploring and prototyping the new world of work.
We have in earlier incarnations conducted consulting work in the areas of organizational development, innovation & renewal, change, and strategic visioning. With a strong base in facilitation and process design.
At fluidminds we choose to work as a networked entrepreneurial tribe, operating and connecting several small companies in order to create remarkable customer value and maximize our "economies of smallness". We are mission-driven rather than profit maximizing.
Our exploration work is concentrated on what we call the new world of work. We offer designed processes for collaborative learning within this area. We also deliver workshops, seminars and lectures. With the ultimate aim of co-creating learning and adapting present organizations to the new world of work.
Currently we're also buzy setting up the first Nordic Hub connected to the global network The Hub. Learn more: The Hub
Please click "Offerings" on the left menu to read more on our offerings and click on the different ventures to learn more about them respectively.
Welcome to fluidminds.
FACTS ABOUT FLUIDMINDS
Founded: 1998
Residence: Stockholm, Sweden
Company type: limited liability (aktiebolag)
Founders: Michael Daun, Kent Edquist, Jan de Man Lapidoth, Mikael Brander
Owners: Kent Edquist, Jan Lapidoth, Jr, Michael Daun
OUR HISTORY
We invite you to a brief history of fluidminds. Tainted to make us look good of course, but it's still some story, we think.
The Origin
We started fluidminds in September of 1998, after a warm summer. For some reason we didn't focus on producing a business plan. We felt it was much more important to spend lots of time figuring out our individual driving forces, dreams and values. We wanted to explore the beginnings of a new business logic and establish a consultancy that made all the difference. In all honesty, we felt that traditional business plans would limit us more than empower us. Some people thought that was a strange decision.
Our first income was spent on participating in an art exhibition. Maybe a foolish thing on the surface, but a sound investment in our own eyes. Good business is not only a matter of spreadsheets and diagrams.
Foolish things
Actually, we have a habit of doing foolish things. At least that's what others tend to think at first glance. Our perspective is a little different. If our work is to be interesting to ourselves and to others it has to stand out. And standing out can be just enough to be regarded as foolish. Or crazy. Or odd. Or cool. We happen to find these words inspiring. Odd people make the world rock. They challenge. They innovate. They push the limits.
During the summer of 1998 we put great effort into sketching and comparing images of the world around us. We questioned. We developed. We learned. Finally we felt we had enough solid ground underneath us to decide what we should do together.
The birth of fluidminds was loudly noted in the press. The four founders had individual track records that generated a buzz when they joined forces. Press coverage generated offers of venture capital from those wanting to buy a part of the insights into the alluring New Economy of 1998.
But we didn't want or need venture capital to get fluidminds started. We just began working and felt sure our energy and commitment would make our ends meet. That was hardly reflective of the sentiment in those hot IT-boom years. "Strange", people told us. "Risky and foolish", others said. On the other hand we have been profitable from day one and have maintained our freedom and independence since.
Physical fluid
When there were only six of us, we rented a 750 square meter office space. We needed a meeting space we said. People told us we were foolish (once again), but we were convinced good ideas breed from a creative environment where many individuals and organizations meet and work together. The result was overwhelming, and over time outgrew our own meeting space concept - primarily created for free agents.
Today you find fluidminds in Stockholm and Brussels, and with network partners in Sweden, Europe and the US. Our hub is found at our Stockholm meeting space, now tailored for our own needs.
Over the years we have learned what keeps us on our toes, what drives us to love the work we do and the people we get to work with. We are united by a code of values - expressed in our manifesto - which is the foundation of all our activities.
This "strategy" has opened for a variety of interlinked businesses under the brand. Apart from the meeting space we're actively involved in two other ventures - a publishing company and a school for entrepreneurs. More ventures are likely to develop over the coming years.
Our future
When we look forward we continue to be foolish. We have embarked on our next journey, drawing on our experience of entrepreneurship, leadership and innovation. We have refined our mission and made it more visible: exploring and prototyping the new world of work. We're all fired up and are convinced that this mission puts us smack in the center of the most interesting conversations and creation processes on the planet.
Wanna be fluid also?
If you'd like to participate in our mission and continued foolishness, please drop us a line.
