TheBridge profile: Sam Devine
Name: Sam Devine
Current city: Minneapolis, MN
Current job: CEO, Kinetic Legacy
Past job: Owner, Kinetic Design Build; Founder, EarthEd Foundation
Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? Our studio
Q. Describe how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your current job. Prior to becoming the founder and CEO of Kinetic Legacy, I was both a wilderness camp leader and the owner of a boutique design/build firm. Through leadership at camp, as well as my experiences leading canoe trips into the subarctic, I learned the value of patience and the skill of self reliance. Through building, I learned the joy of seeing your vision through to completion and learned the value of managing the anxiety of clients though stressful times.
Q. Job advice in three words? Ignore most advice
Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? Kinetic Legacy provides a totally unique solution to the questions of memory and legacy preservation and what to do with all of the digital assets we produce in abundance on our slick new mobile devices.
One way we are bridging the gap between politics and tech is by building into the formation of our company, and subsequently our products, the idea that technology builders have an obligation to use what we have for good purpose. Technology requires regulation only when the makers of the technology fail to regulate themselves. This is true in any industry. If a bread maker is making a product that makes people sick, or a builder is not building safe homes, or a banker is making risky investments, or a doctor is harming people, then society will form laws intended to make punitive corrections to bad behavior. Technology is no different than any other product in so many ways, except that currently so few people are able to speak the language of code and technology is advancing at a rate faster than human comprehension can manage to keep up with. So we find ourselves at a point where self governance is necessary and more regulation is inevitable. Being a leader in doing what we know is morally justifiable is an investment in the future health of our company.
Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? The dangers of division?
Innovators in technology should consider becoming policymakers, or at least informing policymakers. There is no reason for any adversarial tension between innovation and governance.
Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? The wonder of exploration?
Policymakers should themselves endeavor to be innovators. Innovation is one of humankind's most advantageous characteristics, and nature's most obvious ally.
Q. Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? Canoeing with Jose by Jonathan Lurie.
How I Built This and Swindled
Any article about about tech.
Q. Most underrated virtue in an employee? The ability to convey their own needs.
Q. How often do you work from home? I work in our studio nearly every day and I also do several hours of work from home most days.
Q. Last time you were completely unplugged? I founded a nonprofit named EarthEd. Through it I lead at least one canoe trip annually. It is still surprising to people to find themselves past the range of cellular technology, as if they didn't know that civilization has not tamed every inch of the planet. During those trips I am entirely unplugged and absolutely loving it.
Q. Startup to watch? I'm sure it is uncouth to name your own startup as one to watch, but until we are an established company and no longer a startup, I really do think we should be being watched. Kinetic Legacy provides a totally unique solution to the questions of memory and legacy preservation and what to do with all of the digital assets we produce in abundance on our slick new mobile devices.
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