There's definitely a cadence to times of the year when events happen. I'll be in Toronto and Barcelona next month, but this month you can find me here:
Tom is currently on holiday, but I'm still sending him stuff like the above diagram as we build FIELD STATION in an intentional way. So I should say, right off the bat, that this is my view of what we're doing.
I've been collecting writing about using AI with the Viable System Model (VSM) in this Are.na collection, and published an essay entitled Governance Is Not a Dashboard. This note is an attempt to work in the open, thinking about how to apply the VSM to build a sustainable business where the "requisite variety" can, in part, be met by AI agents.
…Tom's currently sharing photos of runs he's doing in the Austrian mountains, while I'm laid up with a self-inflicted calf tear after attempting to race my teenage daughter in our back garden.
So it's only fair that I use my time being mostly horizontal to do something productive. Hence TechFreedom Digest #5 is now available for your attention and enjoyment.
…I'm delighted to say that not only is TechFreedom now a project of FIELD STATION but that we've announced the dates for the next cohort:
TechFreedom is a three-session cohort programme that helps social purpose organisations see their technology dependencies clearly, assess hidden risks and dependencies, and build practical roadmaps towards greater sovereignty.
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For the past few months I've been following Nīkau, "a global platform, information and operations security consultancy in service to NGOs, impact-driven organisations and grassroots movements". In addition to security auditing, etc. they also run courses, such as Cloudbreak which is an intensive 6-hour session "[walking] participants through the process of building up and tightly securing powerful cloud infrastructure" to provide "alternatives to Google Docs & Drive, Zoom & more."
…Tom Watson are presenting at TechNExt this morning on TechFreedom. If that weren't exciting enough, we're also using MarkDeck 3D, meaning I'm presenting using the web for the first time pretty much since leaving Mozilla!
…We had five participants in our pilot TechFreedom and four gave us feedback after the final session. using Tom's Drift forms which has a built-in AI summariser:
The responses show remarkable consistency in quantitative ratings, with all participants scoring 5/5 for clarity of technology dependencies, 4/5 for confidence using lenses, and 4/5 for overall value. Lock-in and cost exposure emerge as the most commonly selected relevant lenses (3/4 responses each), suggesting these are universal concerns across organization types. The most significant pattern is the gap between programme satisfaction and implementation likelihood: despite high NPS scores (two 10/10s, two 8/10s), only one organization has begun acting on their roadmap, with others citing lack of time/capacity as the primary barrier. Participants particularly valued the discussion format and visual/collaborative elements, with multiple requests for enhanced peer interaction through breakout rooms or conversation time outside main sessions. There's a clear demand for better resource distribution and continuity mechanisms—participants want materials emailed, pre-session agendas, and post-programme support like peer networks or periodic prompts. Technical feedback centers on the Stackmap tool needing improved saving/exporting functionality. The Deep Risk Assessment received one piece of negative feedback as less useful than other exercises. Overall, the programme appears to successfully build awareness and provide frameworks, but participants need additional scaffolding to bridge from learning to implementation within their organizational constraints.
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