What Do We Really Want?

It’s always been about time. Nothing is more valuable. We can get more stuff, but we can’t make more time. We want to spend as little time as possible earning the basics so we can use the rest to do what matters. How? We innovate and share those innovations to maximize everyone’s time. It’s about getting everyone in the game. Picture this:

🃏 The Magic Poker Club

Imagine a magic poker club.

Everyone arrives each month with a stack of chips. These chips are real—you can cash them in for food, rent, or anything else.

But if you bring your chips to the table—if you play—the game works a little magic.

Every hand you play causes your chips to flake. These tiny flakes float around the room, and they’re just as valuable as chips—good for paying bills or buying dinner. The more people who play, the more flakes fill the air.

Here’s the catch: most people need their chips just to survive. They’re spending them elsewhere, not even in the game. The table gets quiet. The magic fades.

That’s a problem—for everyone.

The game only thrives when people keep playing. That’s how flakes are created. That’s how the room stays alive.

So what’s the fix?

If you’ve got a pile of flakes, the smart move is to share just enough to help others join in. Not giant stacks, but enough to cover their basics.

That way, they can play their chips—where the real value grows.

🫱 What Happens Between the Hands

And here’s what people miss:

It’s not just about the hands you play. The magic often happens between the cards.

The table talk. The laughter. The shared moments.

That’s what makes the game worth coming back to.

Not every moment needs to create flakes to matter. Connection, creativity, rest, meaning—these keep people engaged, even if they don’t look like “playing.” As long as everyone’s at the table, the system hums.

⏳ Time Was Our First Chip

This is our reality.

Long ago, we each had enough time to survive. We planted food, built shelters, tended fires. It was hard, but time plus effort equaled survival.

Then we got smarter. We shared work. We invented trade, then money to track it. The chips began to flake.

But over time, the system shifted. Innovations like machines and markets made some chips flake faster, while others barely flake at all. Today, many can’t bring their chips to the table—they’re too busy scraping by.

💸 The Case for (Almost) Basic Income

So what now?

If every hour is needed to survive, you can’t waste a minute playing the game. There’s no opportunity to turn that time into something extra. You could try living off the grid, but that’s not realistic for most. So you need to step up to the table. Those in the game have a choice:

Let people try and fail or help them play.

You want them to play. Those chips shouldn’t be used on the basics. They need to be used to create flakes. Give them some flakes. How much? Maybe there’s a sweet spot: just enough to cover essentials—like rent, groceries, or healthcare—so people can bring their chips to the table. But not so much that they skip playing altogether.

Call it (Almost) Basic Income.

We need their presence. Their ideas. Their spark. Even if not every move makes flakes, they’re part of what makes the game vibrant.

Final Thought

The poker game is magic—but only if people can play.

So share the flakes. Almost basic is better than bust.