Castles in the Sky

A core element of inthallo’s research process for both public listed investments and its Third Sector involvement is a speculative consideration of outlandish possibilities, and a careful consideration of how the obstacles that stand in the way of success might fall. The process is deeply embedded in the tremendous success of nations, such as Singapore, China, and the United States, corporations, such as Meta, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, and Tesla, and Third Sector endeavours, such as The Red Cross, UNICEF, and the Gates Foundation.  

The combination of outrageous vision and persistence lies at the heart of each of these stories. In Hindu mythology, Amaravati, the city of Indra, was located in the heavens. The gods dwelled on Mount Olympus in the clouds, and the Tower of Babel account saw the peak of human ambition as reaching up to the place of god. In Christian thought, the heavenly city comes down from God out of heaven. Of course, during the Dark Ages, there was little literary encouragement to think of the possibilities, as life was ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short’.  But towards the end of that sordid period we have the emergence of the Hippogriff carrying the knight Astolfo to “a castle on a mountain raised high in the air as if it were a cloud”. And from Ludovico’s “Orlando Furioso” in 1516, John Milton depicts Heaven as a celestial city in Paradise Lost (1667), and Jonathan Swift’s Laputa (1726) is a castle in the sky governed by reason and science but detached from earthly concerns.  

We seek out grounded dreamers. Those who surround themselves with encouraging supporters who cheer them on their way and keep them [relatively] humble. Teams that can persuade others that there is a chance of success, perhaps remote. Endeavours that are trying something that has not been tried before that could have oblique and widespread consequences that will be, significantly net positive, with of course problems that will need to be addressed. Castles in the sky that will provide respite, a greater sense of self-worth, for many, an excitement around the ‘Russian doll’ nature of our universe, a combined sense of the tremendous possibilities of mankind’s collaborative efforts, especially when a genuine love for others lies at the heart of our endeavours.  

In some cases, we are passive participants in public equity. In most cases, we meet regularly to encourage and provoke thoughts. In all cases, 'we have a dream'.  

By Richard Sneller