On Innovation and Loneliness

Originally published on September 22, 2013

I met Guillaume outside of a bar where one of the co-founders of OuiShare, Benjamin, was a spinning a party. When our mutual friend, Arthur, introduced us, Guillaume wouldn’t crack a smile or a warm hello, he just seemed skeptical and answered my question with a matter-of-fact monotone that signaled to me he had no interest in my bullshit smalltalk. But as our conversation progressed into more complex topics, such as his motivations for building a new makers space in Paris and the economics of the collective, a smile lifted on his face and his voice became more animated. I discovered that he’s Sephardic, so we bonded over our heritage (I’m Ashkenazi). He is pouring his heart and soul into creating something out of nothing (a Makers Space) because he believes in living a meaningful life and that this endeavor is a vehicle to get him there. I could relate.

We started talking about community and loneliness. This seems to be a common theme here in Paris — this (yes, another) tension between solitude and collaboration. And when I think about it further, loneliness seems to be the impetus for so many innovators I meet, regardless of where they’re from, as the products and organizations they build so often seem to be an antidote to their loneliness And the irony — or perhaps, poetry– in it all, is that the communities we build with so much passion and fervor, have the power to bring much meaning and satisfaction and even company into our lives, but fundamentally do very little to change our inevitable condition of being alone. At one point, interrupting a “seven-minute-silence,” Guillaume said the following:

The more lonely you are
The more you know about yourself
The more truthful you are
The more people believe you
The more you sell your book.

Hearing these words come out of the mouth of the founder of Paris’ newest maker space not only made me laugh, but it made me feel less alone. How silly to think that any individual’s condition alone can impact our destiny. It’s ultimately up to the community, or the market.