Christopher Sauer

Innovation vs. Politics

Recently, I’ve learned that just because you show something all the love and loyalty that you have doesn’t mean that love will be reciprocated. Especially when it comes to corporate entities.

Intellectual property is supremely important to innovation in a world that is dull and grayscale. The true power is how and when we choose to share our thoughts and our close-kept works. There are merits to different approaches.

I’ve typically taken a very liberal approach in how I choose to share my thoughts with others, usually because I value communication. I’m a hip hop musician, where sampling is one of the core components of the entire artform, so I should wholeheartedly support this. I’ve found that as life has progressed, people have become more and more brazen and nonchalant about taking something that is not theirs, therefore I find myself questioning intellectual property as philosophy.

I’m not one to back down from a battle of the minds, I know I can hold my own with anybody in this world. I’m not one to back down from a battle of intestinal fortitude, because I’ve largely fought for everything in my life. It’s the politics behind it all that really bugs me.

Why Does It Matter?

In an increasingly dog-eat-dog world, people look for any possible advantage that they can to get ahead. The most pure of people operate fully above ground, while others prefer to operate in a gray space of what is considered acceptable and what is considered legal. This is especially true in the corporate world.

Your ideas are one of the coolest things that you have in this world. Your thoughts are what make you unique. It’s how we as people choose to act on our thoughts and the thoughts of others that can either unite or cause discord.

I’m admittedly long in the tooth, but being too loose-lipped or telegraphing the next move leaves folks vulnerable to having their ideas taken from underneath their nose, often without recourse. This is a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way multiple times, and ultimately why I feel passionate about sharing this philosophy. I’m sure there’s context to a joke about why folks don’t use their turning signals here.

Outro

As the list of things that I care about in this world gradually narrows and synchronizes, I never see myself committing professionally to anything full-send ever again. I’ve been bit in the ass more times than I would like to admit just for trying to impact a positive change in the world. As a result, I’m far more protective of my work, and I would encourage others to do the same. Peace of mind means everything.