Philosophy Café • Ideas & Society

Startup basics + government contracts, a free and practical session

Date & Time: Sunday, July 12 • 11:30 AM (Virtual, with screen share, so come ready to screenshot)

Description:
Philosophers have always been builders. Thales cornered the olive press market, and first-principles thinking is literally a startup buzzword now. This session is Philosophy Café's most practical hour yet: a free virtual class on how to actually turn an idea into an enterprise.
As some of you know, I've taught over 100 startup programs and classes as the Founder of The Microlearning Institute (themicrolearninginstitute.com/tawnystephen). I'm teaching this one for free, virtually, so you can take screenshots of every resource I share.

A practical session. Bring questions, take screenshots.

Agenda

1. Introductions
2. Why philosophers make good founders: first-principles thinking as a business tool
3. Startup basics: setup, $ales and processes
4. Introduction to Government contracts
5. Resources round-up (screenshot-friendly)
6. Open Q&A

Bring your opinions!

For topics:
Epistemology of Everyday Words: what do Freedom, Democracy, & AI mean to you?

Lost in translation: what do Freedom, Love, Money, Democracy, and AI mean to you?

Date & Time: Saturday, July 25 • 12:00–1:30 PM
Location: Parc LaFontaine (virtual if it rains; link will be posted here by 10 AM)

“Freedom” meant one thing in 1996 and means something else entirely in 2026, and nobody voted on the change. Words are drifting faster than dictionaries can chase them, and the forces moving them aren't poets anymore: they're apps, algorithms, and generational shorthand. This meetup is a group excavation. We'll take five loaded words (Freedom, Love, Money, Democracy, and AI) and put them on the table: what do they mean to you, and does your definition match your neighbour's?
Fair warning: you will leave less certain of what words mean, and more aware of who benefits when meanings shift.