I woke up this morning with this message from my very good friend Federico. And I hate to say that I saw it coming.

I was always a fan of the B-Corp concept. When I co-founded Fattelo! – where the author of the message was also one of the co-founders – I pushed to find a way to get a B-Corp certificate. I aspired to build a company that brings value to the world and to the local environment.

But sadly, this morning, I recognized that even B-Corp might have fallen into the trap of our epoch: grow, grow, GROW!

In a single word: capitalism.

Simply put, we cannot endlessly grow forever.

Everywhere you look in the media, there's the celebration of the wealthy (money-wise) and the unicorns, with the underlying and undercover shift from doing good things for people towards doing good things for shareholders. Something I witnessed firsthand through my design profession.

I was thrilled when I read about Zebra Unite. An alternative to unicorns that celebrates companies that approach the market in a more inclusive, equitable, and ethical way. It aligns with the B-Corp idea.

I wonder if capitalism is solely responsible for this endless need for growth or if there are other factors at play. Reflecting on my life, I have upgraded my lifestyle with every career upgrade — aka new paycheck. But this is not really sustainable, and I'd rather find balance in my life that unlocks a different kind of freedom untied to a higher salary.

Because, in the end, that’s what it’s all about: balance.

We should celebrate companies and businesses that operate with balance. When they reach a stable profitability, they can continue doing what they do best while having enough slack to experiment and innovate— if that benefits the world.

And all this obsession with growth is reflected on social media – but with dopamine likes instead of money.

We are swamped by a myriad of information, inputs, and candies for our synapses that keep us craving more and more. But this kind of “more” is almost never-ending, since the algorithm will always find a way to fuel our appetite. This article from Julie Zhuo just hit my mailbox this afternoon and touched on this topic — thanks, universe.

And, once again, the key is the same: balance.

Buddhism has a concept called the Middle Way (Madhyama Pratipad), a path of moderation. It encourages avoiding extremes—neither excessive indulgence nor extreme asceticism. This idea is fundamental to achieving wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline, leading to enlightenment.

Even without thinking about enlightenment, it’s clear that balance is fundamental for our time.

I'm still navigating this world, doing my best to be more conscious of the system and trying not to feed it with my actions too much.

I'm seeking ways to create things that bring value to people and to design a lifestyle that is sustainable without falling into endless exploitation and growth.

I'm still trying to understand my relationship with social media—especially Instagram—and evaluate alternative ways to achieve the same discovery and outreach that help me be found and find new people or things I wouldn’t stumble upon without these platforms.

I'm building my world outside of the platforms and using them as an echo chamber. And, if you want to stay connected outside of social media, you can check this page.