Operations

The World Positive Report Returns

As the rules of ESG in VC are being written, let’s focus on the metrics that matter

Obvious | 11/30/2021

The 2021 World Positive Report is here.

We did it again, as you’ll see, for Obvious reasons:

Every choice we make impacts out world.

Plugging in our electric vehicles. Preparing dinner with plant-based butter. Setting down a LEED Platinum prefab. Proposing with an above-ground diamond.

As the pace of change itself accelerates, the gaps between our daily decisions and their downstream effects are narrowing—at least it feels that way. (Time has moved in mysterious ways since March 2020, hasn’t it?)

Each move we make—every action or inaction—now carries with it a planetary and human urgency, unbeknownst even to ourselves until recently. And buried deep within, fatalism lurks. It’s a tempting, unctuous path of resignation. We must all resist succumbing to the seduction, and instead seek the truth.

Each move we make—every action or inaction—now carries with it a planetary and human urgency.

The team at Obvious Ventures has a stubborn, dogged optimism that drives every choice we make, from building our own operation to how we structure term sheets. We are just now beginning to see the effects of these decisions come to life, and nowhere is it more pronounced than in the pursuits of Obvious portfolio companies.

These visionaries begin with first principles—the great challenges they aim to solve and the values that guide them—and maintain a clear line of sight to whatever north star they seek. They are unified in their world positive passions, understanding that they are a part of something bigger than themselves.

We are humbled by their dedication, their progress, and their choices—especially the one to work with us. Together we are harnessing the growing gravitational force that is a new breed of capitalism, one that respects all stakeholders and sectors’ contributions, and has never been in greater demand.

Their decisions of greatest consequence, however, are all about the mission. In our second World Positive Report, we continue to be awestruck by the choices Obvious portfolio companies make and their effects on the world today.

We hope you are as well.