Welcome to the Critical Tinkering Network!
My name is Stephen and I am an independent scholar and educator. I have a rather eclectic background in technology, health & fitness, eduction and the arts. I don’t necessarily call myself an entrepreneur because I don’t take on greater-than-normal financial risks (as my dictionary suggests that entrepreneurs do). I have, however, been involved in an eclectic range of businesses over a course of 35+ years.
The idea behind "Critical Tinkering" is that the mastery of anything requires critical thinking and that the success of any endeavour comes not from some fixed formula but rather from constant attention and incremental changes—or tinkering—designed to improve or streamline.
I am an incessant tinkerer. I mean that in the sense of the tinkerer as someone who fixes things. I am constantly tinkering with things to make them better. Thus, to be a critical tinkerer, it is not enough to be just thinking critically (although you should be). If you’re not tinkering, then you’re not critical tinkering.
Initially I will be sharing my thoughts and experience on business but I also want to give you an inside view at the Critical Tinkering project itself. To that end you will find two sections (or "groups"), Business and Meta. The Meta group is my way of segregating the two spheres of interest. There will be other groups added along the way.
As this project is a work in progress, I'll be tinkering with it along the way improving the content and the presentation and probably different ways of monetising it.
At least while I “find my voice” you are likely to encounter a motley collection of stories and anecdotes from my years as a businessman and educator. Bare with me as a tinker with how to best make that happen and, by all means, tell me what I should do to make this better for YOU!
If you read this far then I really have to thank you! Perhaps you are one of the rare people who share my visions and passions and will help evolve this site from a monologue into a community.
Wish me luck and I hope you'll stick around and share my journey.
Stephen M Brown