Global Supply Chains and the real China +1
It’s Not the Mine. It’s the Ecosystem.
I went down a metals and materials rabbit hole recently.
And somewhere along the way, I realized I had collected more questions than answers.
So instead of writing another piece, I want to take the conversation offline.
Not a panel. Not a lecture. Not an audience.
Just a small room of people who come in with a point of view and are willing to have it challenged.
How it works:
We start with a question.
Everyone votes. We discuss.
You can pair up, argue your case, change someone’s mind, disagree with everyone in the room, or stand by your original view even if you’re the only one.
And at the end, we vote again. Trust me, the voting changes how you feel about debates.
And the point isn't to arrive at a predetermined answer.
It's to leave with more than we came in with.
A few things to expect:
1. Come with a view.
You don't need to be an expert. But come ready to take a position.
2. Expect to be challenged.
The goal isn't consensus. It's better thinking.
3. Expect to participate.
There won't be a panel doing the talking while everyone else listens.
4. Expect to change your mind.
Or don't. Either is fine as long as you can explain why.
5. Leave with something useful.
A new question, a new perspective, a new connection or a new whitespace.
The first question
If the world wants to reduce its dependence on China, what actually needs to be rebuilt? Is it the mine? Or is the real bottleneck somewhere much further downstream - refining, processing, equipment, manufacturing, technical know-how, customers, scale?
And if those bottlenecks need to be rebuilt, which ones are actually opportunities for new businesses?
We'll use critical materials as our starting point, but the conversation will likely take us much further. And nothing's set in stone here, many tangible things come with a let's start, we'll see.