Bucky Fuller is my personal hero. I love his story, his optimism, his idealism, and his results. He was often called “The Planet’s Friendly Genius.”

IN 1927 Buckminster Fuller was 32.
His daughter had just died. He was bankrupt. Unemployable. A failure by every metric.

He stood on the edge of the water at Lake Michigan, convinced that his family would be better off without him.

And then — something extraordinary happened.

He heard a voice. Not out loud, but within.
The message was simple and clear:

That single insight changed everything.

Fuller decided to make his life an “experiment” — to see what one ordinary person could do to change the world if they truly dedicated themselves to serving humanity without worrying about money, credit, or fame.

He gave himself three rules:

1. Never work for a living again — He called it, “Working for the right to live.” Instead, he would dedicate himself to solving real problems.

2. Only act on what he called ‘dynamic integrity’ — doing what felt cosmically right, even if it looked foolish.

3. Only trust his own thinking - His mistake, he concluded, was that he let everyone else think for him.He committed to only trst and think for himself. After this euphony, he was silent for 2 years while he re-thought the world - and emerged s genius.

From that moment on, Buckminster Fuller didn’t just bounce back. By getting into alignment with his life’s true purpose, by following his vision and passion, he became extraordinary.

He became one of the most important futurists of the 20th century.

He invented the geodesic dome. Coined "Spaceship Earth." Published over 30 books.
His work inspired Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and an entire generation of change-makers.

And it all started with a man who thought he had nothing left.

The Takeaway

Sometimes the breakthrough comes right after the breakdown. When you think the game is over — that’s when you get to choose who you really are.

You do not need permission.
You do not need a new resume.
You just need a new decision.

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Steal This Strategy

📖 Book - Critical Path
Bucky’s mind-blowing final book — part manifesto, part blueprint for humanity.

🎥 Video - Buckerminster Fuller in 3 Minutes
A powerful short clip where Fuller explains how living by “dynamic integrity” changed his life.

🌐 Website - The Buckminster Fuller Institute
BFI carries on his amazing legacy

🛠️ Tool - Obsidian
Bucky meticulously documented his ideas. Obsidian lets you do the same - a connected thinking tool.

Overnight Challenge

Ask yourself: If you were not afraid of looking foolish, what would you start today?

Then do the first thing — the email, the sketch, the call, the post — and log it.
You just might be launching your own guinea pig experiment.

About Steve

Steve Strauss is the best-selling author of The Small Business Bible (and 17 other books), Inc.’s small business columnist, a lawyer (non-practicing), and an entrepreneur. He sold his last venture, TheSelfEmployed.com to Mark Cuban & Zen Business. Need a ghostwriter or a newsletter for your business? Contact Steve!