Welcome to PBxJ: the Philosophy of Business by Jared

There is an urgent need for wisdom… right now. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has swiftly exposed systemic issues in society—in our government, in our communities, and in our businesses. Of these three, corporations disproportionately influence how the world works—just look at the private sector’s percentage of GDP,¹ lobbying spending, and employment numbers.² If we want to solve some of our most pressing problems, examining the private sector is a good place to start.

Just consider how much business permeates our lives…

Think about the number of interactions you have with a company’s products or services in a single day. As I write this at 7:51 AM, I count 21 since I woke up.³ And if you’re part of the 82 percent of the workforce employed by the private sector, you spend 40+ hours a week making a living from a business.

So what is business philosophy?

Business philosophy is an exploration of why businesses exist. It’s an examination of human behavior in the workplace, business ethics, values-in-use,⁴ and the responsibilities of a company in the twenty-first century.

This publication will explore these topics and others, including the history of capitalism, shareholder vs. stakeholder value, company philosophy, and leadership.

Three things to expect from PBxJ:

1. KISS: These are complex topics. There will be no academic-speak or jargon in this publication. In short: it will be easy to read.

2. Humility: Because of the complexities of the topics explored here, I won’t get everything right the first time. I promise to admit when I am wrong.

3. Curiosity: Business philosophy is a hairy, challenging topic with few “right” answers. I’ll approach each piece as objectively as possible.⁵ I also hope that you, dear reader, will reply in the comments with topic suggestions or questions to explore in future stories.

A little about the “J” in PBxJ:

Jared has been interested in business since high school, when he co-created a non-profit arts organization and a small creative agency. He spent the early part of his career at Disney, where he created an employee engagement role within their kids’ TV business. He currently works on the employee experience team at HP Inc.

Over the years, he’s been drawn to thought-leaders like Roger Martin, Simon Sinek, and Seth Godin: people who challenge the status quo and are not afraid to speak their minds. These people, and many others, are the inspiration for this publication.

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1. As I quickly learned in my research, this number isn’t easy to find because GDP is not reported this way. But estimates put the number at around 87 percent.

2. Census data from 2010 puts private employment at 82 percent of the workforce (see PDF).

3. Etsy, Brooklinen, Tuft & Needle, Casper, Target, Apple, Google, Fontaine Owners Corporation, CB2, Amazon, Shambhala Publishing, Baratza, Oslo Coffee Roasters, Hamasi, Chemex Corp., Siggi’s Dairy, A Matter of Health, Bob’s Red Mill, Staples, Pilot Pen, and Substack.

4. As opposed to espoused values: the ones memorialized in office lobbies that are rarely practiced.

5. For those of you who want to dive deeper, source material will be provided here in the footnotes.