The Amoeba Model: From Rubs to Real-Time Solutions

Amoeba is a framework designed to solve complex problems by starting with a simple observation—something that’s bothering or affecting someone, called a rub. This process grows organically from the small “rub” into an organized and focused collective intelligence effort, leading to real solutions for wicked problems. Here's how it works:

The Process: From Rub to Amoeba Lab

Rub Identification:
Everything starts with a rub—a subtle issue or problem that someone notices, which affects their life or work. This could be something like mental health challenges in the workplace or the lack of job opportunities in game development.

‍Dissonance Verification:
When the rub is validated and verified by the community or through research, it becomes a dissonance—a more defined and multifaceted issue. Dissonances are the starting point for real action because they represent verified challenges that need solutions.

‍Streams Creation:
From a dissonance, a stream is created. Think of a stream as a movement or ongoing effort to address a broad topic like health, education, or creativity. For example, mental health would be a stream within the broader health sector.

‍Amoeba Formation:
Within each stream, focused initiatives are created, known as amoebas. These are dedicated to specific areas, such as mental health within the health stream or game development jobs within the creative sector. Each amoeba is a concentrated effort to address the issue in detail and find actionable solutions.

The Framework: How Amoebas Progress

The Amoeba process involves several stages, each designed to bring the collective intelligence of the participants to the forefront:

Glimmer Sessions:
Quick, informal sessions where participants identify “glimmers” or rubs—small observations that highlight potential challenges or areas for improvement. This serves as the initial brainstorming phase, where early ideas are gathered.

‍Amoeba Sessions:
A more structured discussion phase where insights gathered from Glimmer Sessions are explored in-depth. Here, participants focus on understanding the rub and developing a collective approach toward solving it.

‍Consequence Analysis:
This stage involves analyzing the potential consequences of various actions or solutions. By thinking ahead, the group identifies potential ripple effects of different approaches, ensuring that solutions are sustainable and consider all factors.

‍Suggestion Labs:
After understanding the consequences, participants brainstorm concrete suggestions or solutions. These labs are more focused and aim to generate actionable steps that can be implemented in real life.

‍Amoeba Labs:
The final phase where participants test and develop the suggested solutions. These labs are practical spaces for experimentation and iteration, turning ideas into reality.

Glimmer Events: Sparking Collective Insights

Glimmer Events are short, spontaneous sessions designed to spark creativity and generate new ideas by identifying what we call “rubs”—those subtle, nagging issues or observations that don’t quite fit right but may lead to deeper insights. These events are flexible, adaptable, and entirely driven by the participants’ experiences and surroundings. The magic of Glimmer Events lies in their simplicity: they create space for ideas to emerge organically, from both conscious and subconscious thought.

How Glimmer Events Work
A Glimmer Event can be as short as 5 to 15 minutes, and it is up to the host of the event to decide how and where it takes place. The format is deliberately open-ended to encourage creativity and inclusivity. Here’s how the process typically works:

‍Setting the Stage: The host gathers a group of people in a setting of their choice—whether it’s a formal setting like a university meeting room or an informal gathering at a café. The host sets the tone by briefly explaining the goal: identifying “rubs”—small, unnoticed issues or ideas that have potential but are not yet fully formed.

‍Capturing the Rubs: Participants are invited to reflect for a few minutes and write down any “rub” they’ve encountered. These can be challenges, inefficiencies, gaps in understanding, or just vague feelings that something doesn’t quite work. The idea is to capture these thoughts without overanalyzing or filtering them.

‍Sharing & Collecting: After reflection, participants quickly present their rubs. Each person gets 1-2 minutes to share, without deep discussion or problem-solving at this stage. The focus is simply on capturing the raw insights.

‍Documenting the Rubs: The host or designated facilitator collects all the rubs and records them into a shared document (typically a Google Sheet or Excel file). The sheet can have simple columns like:

Date/Location of Event
Description of the Rub
Initial Thoughts or Context (Optional)

‍This sheet then becomes part of the Amoeba’s collective knowledge base, where rubs can later be analyzed and transformed into potential solutions in further Amoeba sessions.

Hosting a Glimmer Event: Flexible Formats

The beauty of Glimmer Events is that they can be held anywhere, anytime, and in many different formats. Hosts are encouraged to get creative with how they organize these events. Here are several ways a Glimmer Event could take place:

‍Meeting at a Café:
Gather a small group over coffee and invite them to reflect on specific challenges or ideas related to their work or lives. The relaxed atmosphere fosters creativity and casual conversation, helping participants feel comfortable sharing their rubs.

‍Walk and Talk:
Take the event outdoors! Walking has been shown to stimulate creative thinking. Organize a small group for a walk in a park or through the city, giving participants time to discuss their rubs as they stroll. This can be especially useful for generating insights from more dynamic discussions.

‍Dinner Event:
Over dinner, ask each guest to write down one or two rubs they’ve noticed in their personal or professional lives. These can be shared between courses or at the end of the meal, making for rich conversation and deeper connections.

‍In a Retail Store Before Opening:
Host a Glimmer Event in a retail store that aligns with the focus of the discussion (e.g., sustainability in fashion or design). This approach allows participants to immerse themselves in the environment while reflecting on the challenges the industry faces.

‍University Setting:
Organize a Glimmer Event on a university campus. Invite students, faculty, and staff to participate and share insights on how they see potential improvements in education, industry connections, or even social issues. The academic setting encourages intellectual curiosity and exploration.

‍Morning Office Gathering:
Gather your team for a quick 10-15 minute Glimmer Event at the start of the day. Encourage employees to reflect on inefficiencies, challenges, or new ideas they’ve observed in their day-to-day work. This can lead to unexpected solutions or new directions for the team.

‍Community Event:
Set up a Glimmer Event in a community center or public space. Invite locals to contribute their thoughts on community challenges, such as urban planning, mental health support, or sustainability efforts. This creates a diverse set of rubs from people with different backgrounds and perspectives.

Why Glimmer Events Matter

Glimmer Events serve as the initial spark that drives the entire Amoeba process. These micro-sessions gather valuable insights that otherwise might go unnoticed. By encouraging quick, spontaneous participation, Glimmer Events allow individuals to express their ideas and concerns in a relaxed environment without the pressure of formal ideation workshops.

The rubs captured during Glimmer Events form the raw data that will be further refined during Amoeba sessions and Suggestion Labs, leading to actionable solutions for the challenges we face across sectors.

Key Takeaways:
Glimmer Events can be held anywhere and are highly adaptable to different settings and environments.

Participants quickly and intuitively share their rubs, creating the foundation for deeper problem-solving in later sessions.

Hosts have full creative freedom in designing Glimmer Events that suit the context and participants.

Rubs are collected and recorded in a shared document (Google Sheets or Excel) to serve as a knowledge base for future analysis.

By keeping Glimmer Events informal, spontaneous, and adaptable, Amoeba taps into the collective wisdom of diverse groups of people, creating the conditions for meaningful and innovative solutions to emerge.

Amoeba Sessions: Sparking Collective Intelligence Through Creative Dialogue

Amoeba Sessions are dynamic, engaging events where participants come together to discuss, reflect, and explore ideas around a chosen topic. Inspired by the format of Creative Mornings but with a twist, Amoeba Sessions go beyond talks and discussions—they actively capture value through Glimmer Sessions, transforming insights into actionable data that feed into the larger collective intelligence of Amoeba.Each Amoeba Session is designed to foster creativity, provoke thoughtful conversation, and generate new perspectives. The end goal is not only to inspire but also to capture the "rubs"—small observations, ideas, and challenges that participants encounter—creating a shared knowledge base that can lead to innovative solutions.

The Amoeba Session Process

An Amoeba Session typically lasts between 1.5 to 2 hours and follows a flexible, creative format. Here's a breakdown of how a standard session works:

1. Setting the ThemeEach session revolves around a specific theme or topic designed to provoke thought and spark conversation. Themes can range from societal challenges like sustainability or mental health to industry-specific topics such as technology innovation or new business models. The host chooses a theme that is relevant to the participants and current issues, ensuring the conversation is timely and meaningful.

2. Engaging TalksThe session kicks off with a short, inspiring talk by a guest speaker. This speaker is someone with deep expertise, a fresh perspective, or an unconventional take on the theme. The talk is designed to engage the audience, challenge assumptions, and ignite curiosity. It’s important that the talk isn’t too long—usually between 15 and 20 minutes—to leave plenty of time for interaction and engagement.The speaker's role is to spark insights and 'aha' moments in the audience, setting the stage for rich discussion. These talks are often centered around:Personal stories or experiences that connect deeply with the theme.Innovative ideas or trends that are pushing boundaries in a particular field.Provocative questions that challenge the way we think about the chosen topic.

3. Interactive DiscussionAfter the talk, the session moves into a guided discussion phase. Here, the facilitator encourages participants to share their thoughts, ask questions, and engage with the topic on a deeper level. The goal is to create a lively conversation where diverse viewpoints are heard, and new connections are made between ideas.This discussion period is highly interactive, with participants bouncing ideas off each other, exploring different facets of the theme, and delving into areas that weren’t covered in the talk. These discussions often lead to “eureka” moments—when the group collectively realizes a new insight or a potential solution to a challenge.The facilitator's role here is to guide the conversation, ensuring that it stays on track while allowing for organic, free-flowing dialogue. The atmosphere is one of openness and creativity, where all ideas are welcomed and explored.

4. Glimmer Session: Capturing the RubsThe Glimmer Session is what sets Amoeba Sessions apart. After the interactive discussion, participants are asked to reflect on the conversation and identify any rubs—those small issues, inefficiencies, or gaps that feel unresolved or worth exploring further. Rubs are like early-stage ideas or intuitions that something isn’t quite right but could lead to deeper insights.Participants write down their rubs, which are then collected by the facilitator and documented in a Google Sheet or Excel file. These rubs are not solutions; they are the seeds of potential future innovation. Capturing these rubs is a crucial step in feeding into the larger Amoeba process of collective intelligence.

Versions of Amoeba Sessions

Amoeba Sessions can be customized to fit different audiences, environments, and objectives. Here are some examples of how Amoeba Sessions can be adapted to various contexts:

1. Morning Inspiration: Breakfast Amoeba Sessions
Format: This is a short, high-energy session held in the morning, similar to a Creative Mornings format. Participants gather over coffee and breakfast for a quick burst of inspiration to start their day.
‍Ideal For: Busy professionals, students, or entrepreneurs who want to engage in a quick, insightful discussion before their workday begins.
‍Talks & Discussion: Focus on fresh ideas or emerging trends in fields like design, tech, or social innovation.
‍Added Value: The session includes a Glimmer Session, where participants capture early-morning ideas and rubs that can turn into actionable insights later.

2. Extended Conversations: Lunch & Learn Amoeba Sessions
Format: A longer format that takes place over lunch, with ample time for both in-depth talks and group discussion. This session format allows for deeper exploration of the theme and more time to dive into participants' ideas.
‍Ideal For: Groups who are looking for an in-depth exploration of a topic, such as corporate teams, university classes, or professional networks.
‍Talks & Discussion: Includes detailed presentations from guest experts followed by rich discussions.
‍Added Value: Participants capture rubs that arise from these discussions and reflect on them over lunch, leading to organic idea generation.

3. Walk & Talk: Active Amoeba Sessions
Format: A more informal, outdoor session where participants go on a walk (in a park or city) while discussing the topic. Walking stimulates creativity, leading to freer, more expansive conversations.
‍Ideal For: Creative teams, entrepreneurs, or groups looking to break away from traditional meeting formats.
‍Talks & Discussion: A shorter, introductory talk followed by discussions in pairs or small groups as they walk.
‍Added Value: After the walk, participants capture rubs during a short debriefing session, either on their phones or through a group reflection.

4. After Hours: Evening Amoeba Sessions
Format: An after-work or evening session, combining talks and discussions with a more relaxed atmosphere. Think casual conversations, accompanied by refreshments, in a comfortable setting like a café, coworking space, or library.
‍Ideal For: Professionals or community members who prefer evening events or want a more informal setting.
‍Talks & Discussion: Evening sessions lend themselves to more reflective, philosophical discussions on complex topics like mental health, social justice, or personal growth.
‍Added Value: Rubs are captured and documented at the end of the event, often resulting from deeper, introspective conversations.

5. Pop-Up Amoeba: Spontaneous Gatherings
Format: These are ad-hoc sessions held in unusual spaces such as retail stores, art galleries, or outdoor plazas. The goal is to create a unique, unexpected environment that fosters creativity.
‍Ideal For: Open-minded, adventurous participants who are interested in breaking out of traditional settings.
‍Talks & Discussion: Focus on creativity, innovation, or culture. The unconventional setting sparks unusual ideas and perspectives.
‍Added Value: Rubs captured during these pop-up sessions are often inspired by the environment itself, leading to novel insights.

Amoeba Sessions are more than just a platform for creative talks—they are an engine for collective intelligence. By creating an environment where people feel inspired to share, question, and explore, these sessions produce tangible value through the Glimmer Sessions, which capture early-stage ideas that can later be developed into meaningful innovations.  Through these engaging, flexible formats, Amoeba Sessions help create a network of insights, where participants contribute to a larger conversation and help shape the future of the issues they care about. Whether it’s in the form of a morning coffee meeting, an evening walk, or a pop-up event in a store, Amoeba Sessions provide the structure needed to unlock new ideas while capturing and preserving the rubs that lead to actionable solutions.