On Brutal Soil, We Grow
The response was as blunt as the question: “You do know we’re trying to monetise farmers, right?”
Earlier this year, I was rejected for a senior product design job at a regenerative agriculture startup. The position was to design an AI agronomist to assist farmers in making regenerative choices, while helping big business partners to inset scope 3 carbon emissions from their supply chains.
When putting together my case studies, I made a conscious decision. I chose to omit numbers—not because I didn’t have them or didn’t think they were important, but because my focus in design and regeneration isn’t on numbers. I decided to focus on something deeper. I started and ended my presentation with a question:
“How do we design systems that serve life, not just measure it?”
The response was as blunt:
“You do know we’re trying to monetise farmers, right?”
And the feedback after rejection?
“You’re not commercial enough.”
So, I reflected on what exactly is being ‘regenerated’ during this time of transition—and what is being erased or sidelined in this ‘game,’ as some still frame it. Worse still, what is being lost? This experience re-rooted me in my values.
When we measure with tools shaped by the same systems of control we claim to be escaping, we’re not just measuring—we’re reinforcing what we want to transform. The system’s dynamics, its addiction to feedback loops, and its shareholders demanding returns are all part of the same logic.
Let me be clear: Measurement isn’t the enemy. We’re beyond that type of agonistic thinking. It’s a tool that can be used with intention, care, and awareness. “That which gets measured, gets improved”—no doubt. But so does the focus on numbers above all else, if we lead with that.
The problem isn’t measurement itself, but the assumptions, values, and power structures that shape how and what we measure—and who benefits from that.
I choose to measure with congruence and alignment—not just numbers. To design, not for profit, but for life.
“‘You’re not commercial enough’ turned out to be the best rejection I ever got. It forced clarity—I always knew. I just knocked on the wrong doors too many times.”
I build for systems that serve the collective, transparency, public data, and cooperative action. That’s the stance I’ve re-rooted and regenerated.
And for that, I’m immeasurably grateful.
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