The Silent Canopy: Ethical Growth Models for Seven Generations
When we talk about growth, most business models look no further than the next quarter, the next fiscal year, or at best, the next decade. But what if we stretched our timeline to seven generations—roughly 150 years? That is the core question behind the 'Seven Generations' principle, an ethical growth model that asks us to consider the long-term impact of our decisions on the seventh generation to come. This guide is for founders, product leaders, and sustainability officers who want to build organizations that endure and contribute positively to the world, not just extract value now. Why This Matters Now We are living through a crisis of short-termism. Companies chase quarterly earnings, governments prioritize election cycles, and individuals optimize for immediate gratification. The result: climate change accelerates, social inequality widens, and trust in institutions erodes.