Marking the B Corp certification is an undeniably sounding milestone for every company. Standing in line with giants like Patagonia, Coursera, and Ben and Jerry's makes you realise that, despite apparent differences, you all share the same drive for accountability and a better world. Well, so does our Bit team: we were beyond delighted to learn about our deployment to the troops of transparency warriors in September this year. The glasses clinked in a generous celebration, a bold B letter was proudly pasted next to the digital signature, and cheering social media posts profoundly conveyed the news we sought to articulate. However, it didn't last long.
Contrary to the common belief, joining the B Corp family is not the final destination; instead, it is the first step along a thrilling and, at times, bumpy journey. So, as the celebration of life and accompanying champagne bottles were emptied to the last drop - both literally and metaphorically - our team was left with far more practical concerns, namely:
And we picked up on it. After multiple opportunity sessions, ruthless brainstorming and business model research, the Bit team unanimously popped a hard-to-swallow pill: regardless of the tempting B above our heads, the current performance is simply not enough. Although this may sound like a bold and unfavourable statement made on behalf of the company, it's the truth we would eventually have to face rather earlier than later. In other words, if we seek to move the world forward, we should first ensure that we collectively do so in the first place. With immense room for improvement come the greatest opportunities, and we are now ready to share those with you.
As a research and prototyping studio, Bit always remains on the lookout for novel ways to bring our clients to the performative edge through implementing disruptive technologies. The points to tackle, however, are oftentimes as diverse and versatile as shades on the colour palette - some strive to boost efficiency levels while others go after more sophisticated control and maintenance systems.
What we did realise, however, was the relative scarcity of our projects directly targeting sustainability-related issues. To a significant extent, the root of this problem lay in our preoccupation with what clients opted for: to put it differently, Bitters would identify a tailored solution for an existing gap between a status quo and the desired outcome. And as you can imagine, filling this primary goal would normally stand above other considerations.
Considering the market-driven orientation of this world, it is understandable that only some clients place sustainability at the very heart of their innovation reforms. It is absolutely outstanding when it's the case, which also empowers us to make a more considerable societal contribution, such as reducing CO2 emissions of the airline company or ensuring customer safety. Yet, it is in our full power to have an impact even when a client's inquiry revolves around less environmentally thoughtful aspirations by providing fixes that offer both. From now on, we are determined to work to the fullest on the sustainability projects - else, we will make them so.
One of the most crucial features of sustainability goals lies in their long-term impact. As we have all witnessed so far, what seemed to be a quick fix and short-term profit maximisation in the past backlashes at humanity with the doubled intensity already today - and may you know the consequences are rather disastrous. On the other hand, directing the wheels of capitalism along a trajectory of the common good is a long process that cannot be achieved in one go.
Drawing upon the above, the only way to ensure the yearned difference in the prototype's implementation is to continue measuring it. As of today, our team is already in the full-scale development phase of the new metrics that would allow tracking the continued impact of our work in sustainability. With a generic outline, it would then be possible to tweak it to the case-specific conditions and remain alert on a project's contribution.
Every now and then, we strive to share our knowledge with external parties. At some point, this urge became so irresistible that we couldn't help but start hosting our round table sessions and workshops. So far, we have dozens of events on our account, ranging from system dynamics and algorithmic biases to the strategies of backcasting and organisational culture. It is truly beautiful to see how our expertise meets clients' interest - however, we concluded there could be much more.
With the opportunity of uniting brilliant minds, Bit is eager to further pursue the educational edge, specifically down the path of sustainability. Whether industry-tailored or general, our team strongly believes that workshops stressing the significance of positive impact and Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) will facilitate common growth and goal-setting. In other words, keep an eye on our social to stay in tune with upcoming sessions and be one of the lucky ones to attend.
