013: the compulsory education of multigenerational families

my first attempt to articulate the Totemic thesis

In 1762, Rousseau wrote:

The poor man does not need to be educated. His station gives him a compulsory education.

In 2026, highly educated Gen Zs are experiencing a moment of reckoning.

• AI is cutting 16,000 U.S. jobs a month, with Gen Z taking the brunt;

• Gen Z is the first generation in modern history to be (accused of being!) “cognitively less capable“ than their parents.

By 2030, current family leaders also face a $5.8 trillion dollar challenge.

• Is the family business a legacy to be preserved or an asset to be sold?

• Is purpose worth pursuing at the expense of profit?

• Is a worthy successor present inside the family?

According to Rousseau, the struggle for survival is the ultimate teacher.

For current family leaders, many are concerned with stewarding their family wealth & legacy.

For future family leaders, many are struggling to pursue meaningful careers.

the Totemic thesis

I am someone who has:

• served as an Investment Manager at a single family office and a Manager at a family foundation for the past six years, with both firms established by my family;

• curated a community of 100+ single family office principals, rising gen, and investment professionals for a multi family office, with no relation to my family;

• documented ways of building trust across generations within different family businesses and family offices.

I believe that

• receiving wisely from our current family leaders is increasingly a strategic imperative for our careers;

• giving wisely by our current family leaders is becoming a critical component of their succession planning;

• our goals and those of our families’ may converge in more ways than we expect.

I am very close to announcing to something exciting that I’ve been working on for the better part of this year.

If you are either a current family leader or a future family leader, please reach out. I’d love to get you involved.