Markus talks about solving the world’s housing problem, creating thousands of jobs while simultaneously fighting climate change, and also gets into the fine details of the organizational structure of his family-run company. Markus also provides great insight as to what it takes to be a successful serial entrepreneur from outside of the United States.
This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, and Markus Silfverberg, Founder and Developer of Block Solutions Oy.
Markus is an international serial entrepreneur with a background in the large-scale production technology sector. He is the founder and developer of Block Solutions Oy, a Finland-based company specializing in affordable and sustainable housing, focusing on creating opportunities for people that are in need for new beginnings through creating jobs and decent housing. Markus has a passion for sustainability and environmental actions and fighting climate change.
In this episode, Markus talks about solving the world’s housing problem, creating thousands of jobs while simultaneously fighting climate change, and also gets into the fine details of the organizational structure of his family-run company. Markus also provides great insight as to what it takes to be a successful serial entrepreneur from outside of the United States.
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Guest Quote
“According to United Nations, a staggering 3 billion people will need affordable housing by the end of 2030…That would mean we will need to build 600 million houses in just a few years. And of course we understand that's never going to be the case. We could just say ‘hey, it's not going to happen,’ or we can do our part.” - Markus Silfverberg
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Timestamps
(00:36) Introduction
(01:11) Markus’ career
(02:07) Building multiple businesses with his wife
(03:07) Markus’ influences
(04:16) A family business
(05:56) About Finnish culture
(07:32) Why Markus built Block Solutions
(10:29) The environmental impact of Block Solutions
(13:18) How Block Solutions adds to the ecosystem
(14:56) Where is Markus putting his factories?
(15:49) Important lessons Markus has learned
(20:17) Block Solutions creating opportunities internationally
(24:12) The organizational structure of Block Solutions
(28:46) Rapid fire questions
(35:45) Final thoughts
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Links
Phil Dillard: Hello and welcome to Thruline to the 4th Sector, where we’re exploring 4th Sector Capitalism and impact investing as an invitation to innovation, That builds the future economy that works for everyone
I’m your host, Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks.
This episode features a conversation with Markus Silfverberg, Founder of Block Solutions Oy. A Finland-based company specializing in building material innovation for affordable and sustainable housing
Hailing from Helsinki Finland, Markus is an international serial entrepreneur with a background in the large-scale production technology sector. He also is the Chairman of the Board at UpNorth Investment Group
In this episode, Markus talks about solving the world’s housing problem, and creating thousands of jobs while simultaneously fighting climate change.
He provides interesting insight into what it takes to be a successful serial entrepreneur outside the United States.
To learn more about Markus’ work, visit block-solutions.com , and to learn more about our work at Thruline Networks, visit thrulinenetworks.com You can find the links for both companies in the show notes
Now, sit back and enjoy the conversation with Markus Silfverberg, Founder of Block Solutions
Phil Dillard: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the Thruline to the Fourth Sector podcast. I'm your host, Phil Dillard here today with Marcus from Block Solutions. Marcus, how you doing today?
Markus Silfverberg: Oh just wonderful. Just wonderful. Happy to be here.
Phil Dillard: Happy to have you with us. Thanks for making the time and coming to us all the way from Finland. Let's just jump into it. We know, we want to talk a little bit about you before we talk about your company and how you got into doing such amazing things in the world. So let's just start with a little bit of a simple question. When people ask. Who are you? What do you do? How do you describe what you do?
Markus Silfverberg: Well actually, I'm a father of three children and that's why I'm doing what I'm doing. I would describe that we are trying to change the world the way we can do it. We're trying to make a better livelihood and trying to make the things that we do more environmentally friendly, as much as possible.
You know it's amazing how many people are inspired by their kids in this. Have you always been inspired as a father in what you do in your profession? Because I know you're, an inventor and a designer and engineer. Can you tell us a little bit about the roles you've had before this and how they prepared you this company.
Markus Silfverberg: Well, actually, I used to be one of those magnets trying to solve everything in the world. And I was working in the industry, let's say, construction industry before I was working, top level executive roles in Europe, before. but then I had a few companies actually in the long run with my wife.
We had all most, 28 different companies, which we have had during our lifetime. And that's when I tried let's say, getting off the loop And trying to do something more, with more impact. And that's why I stepped down from those corporate roles and starting to do a Block Solutions.
Phil Dillard: And you have a really interesting background that way, and a really interesting relationship with your wife, which I find amazing and refreshing. can you tell us a little. About what your expertise was, what your discipline was, what your training was, and then how you transition that into building multiple businesses with your spouse.
I've been always an inventor, let's say. In Finland, we're quite good at inventing new things and .Trying to make lives easier. Basically I'm a civil engineer to my training. I was actually studying also electrical engineering and also done an MBA on international business.
So trying to cope with. everything started working as a private entrepreneur when I was 22, took my first loan for that and, started actually with a hardware store in, the beginning. And then gradually grew up the business to become, let's say global. At some point I just sold the companies to bigger companies and then stepped off and now I'm doing what my heart tells me to do.
I often ask a question that says, what is your work really matter to you? And you said, your kids and what your heart tells you to do. can you share a little bit about any sort of people who've influenced you in, Really making that shift from, being a corporate guy or being, an entrepreneur in a traditional business to something that really matters more to you. How did you make that shift?
Markus Silfverberg: Well in the way, my parents were also private entrepreneurs themselves, and I was working, looking at the, how they work. And of course, let's say it's not so easy to be a child for an entrepreneur, but then again, you get some liberties, but then you have obligations. We always took the children with us when we went to new companies and so on, and we told them what we're doing.
Especially when we founded Block Solutions and when they saw the impact that we're doing. So they are actually involved quite heavily also in, everything, what we do with Block Solutions, they want to be a part of what we do. They see the impact and that they are gladly sharing everything, what we're doing all around the world. And that's why they are also co-owners in the company.
Phil Dillard: Does that make it different than previous businesses that you started or in working as part of a corporation, how does it feel differently to have your family willingly engaged and excited about being co owners of this business.
It's a totally different ball game. I really love having them around. Of course they are, let's say in the early twenties, all of them. but it's. Nice to see them grow into the company and how they would like to improve the company, what they would like to do. And that's just drives me so let's say proud of what they're doing. And, that gives me so much boost also to be all around the world and trying to make this their infinity company in future.
Phil Dillard: Yeah, that's a really important thing. The concept of infinite business and the concept of a new version of a family business. And I think for those who don't know you, when they see the picture of block solutions on the Facebook page or on the website and they see you and sauna and the kids in the pictures and the video.
There's to me seems to be real passion, real joy in those pictures, but you're doing something together. You're doing something you love and you're doing something that matters. And I think right now in a place in the world where people are looking for things that matter for things of meaning and for connection to other folks, you guys have something that's. That's really special. And it's one of the reasons I really wanted to try and talk with you before we go on to talk a little bit more about the company. Can you tell me, tell everyone a little bit about Finland, about Finnish culture and why being an independent entrepreneur might be, unique or special in the culture and how that matters to your family.
Markus Silfverberg: Well, in a way, when you think about the Finnish culture, we are. A little bit drawn back compared to normal people in that sense, we keep to ourselves. But then we really respect each other, you have to say that we're in the fifth year in a row where the happiest people in the world, I don't know why.
But there must be something. It must be that the it's so cold outside that we care about the people who will live with. And, I get the power from the support of the community will think the same way. Maybe we just want to support each other. That's how it is. But being an entrepreneur.
In this kind of, let's say climate is not so easy. It's not like in us. let's say everybody wants to become an entrepreneur and so on, but we are, those guys that trying to find Finland to the world Atlas in that sense.
I can totally appreciate that from having come to learn the finished culture. I worked with a guy that in a consulting firm was when I first met fins. And for business, I've been to Finland now seven times for different conferences and such, and not only are the people who. traditional fins who say that, but people who've immigrated there have shared the ethos and shared the happiness and the care in other folks.
Phil Dillard: And I think it permeates into the business and part of the why, and the, how you're doing what you're doing. So let's shift gears a little bit and talk a little bit about block solutions. The part of the segment, it really is, what did you see the change you? And the first question I often start with is what was the point where you knew that you needed to build this company.
There's one place actually. it's a country called Haiti. That was the thing that sparked, made the ignite the sparkle in that sense, there was an earthquake in 2010 in Haiti, and there were so many people killed during that, the prices over there. And, there was a tsunami who flushed away everything.
Markus Silfverberg: The infrastructure was flushed away and the biggest problem, what, the different NGOs and, like United nations. What was that they couldn't get the help on site to the shorelines over there because the infrastructure washed away. So actually a lot of people died because the helpers couldn't get onsite.
So that's when actually United nations wanting to have a solution for a crisis management. So that they could fly in, for example,building components so that they can build hospitals, more mortuaries, temporary shelters and so on. But the existing solutions were so bulky and so heavy that they couldn't get into onside.
There were, let's say tens of thousands of helpers just waiting to get over there, but they just couldn't get there. And when they got there, they couldn't do anything. And you did this. So numerous lines were lost and that's, that was actually the igniting spark. What made me start to design the product and to come up with solution for the United nations.
Phil Dillard: And because your business is a family business and there's lots of folks who are engaged. was there something personal that your family talked about in this that made it a little different?
In a way I was working for the construction industry and I was actually heading, one of the biggest, bike manufacturers in Europe as a commercial director. I've been always having a passion to help people and trying to solve problems. And especially when I was reading about, their carbon emissions,of the existing ways of building and also the climate change, which we actually see over here in Finland, which I would like to present.
Markus Silfverberg: I would like my children to have the same winter. That I was having when I was a child having snow everywhere or around, over here. Now we barely get the snow over here during the winters that we face and the extreme temperatures differences, what we're getting in the world. It is actually what we relate to climate change.
And if we do it. The old fashioned way. it's going to, let's say be a big impact if we want to start building the conventional ways, or if we want to change that into a new, more environmental way of building for.
Phil Dillard: Outstanding. I get it. So the impact that you want to deliver to the people you serve, not only is to address something that can have fast building in response to an emergency, but also something that is environmentally friendly in a way that helps them. The climate challenges that we're seeking today. Can you talk a little bit about how block solutions.
Markus Silfverberg: Yeah, actually, I'm just gonna go for the fundamentals of block solutions according to United nations, a staggering amount of 3 billion people will need affordable housing by the end of 2030. We're never, ever going to be able to be sufficiently deploying these houses for people, that would mean that we will need to build 600 million houses in just a few years.
And of course we understand that's never going to be the case. we can just say that, hey, it's not going to happen, but we can make our part. Now, for example, we use concrete. Concrete is a very good material, but we should try to find solutions where we should actually minimize the use of concrete and find solutions to build, let's say, other structure with the blocks, for example, it's just an option what people can use. When we build a square meter wall, so about 10 square feet,the carbon footprint of a concrete wall is about 200 kilograms, roughly. Compare that with the block, it is only 1.8% of the carbon footprint compared to concrete.
So those are the things that we cannot build just alone with the blocks. But we could minimize the amount of concrete that we using building partitioning walls, exterior walls and let's say a one or two story building just with the blocks. We're utilizing the recycled plastics that is laying around in nature, especially in African and many Asian countries, were utilizing that, collecting the waste plastics from the nature, transforming that into pellets, and from the pellets we with injection molding machines, we produce these building blocks and it's like a adult size Legos. We can build a house in two hours. So that is the change that we want to make. And by doing this, we're also employing a lot of people on the local level because these factories are always locally operated and locally owned.
Phil Dillard: Can you talk about that? a little bit more, cause it's a really interesting component of it. I would expect that when people hear changing building materials that make it faster to build a building, some would say, wait a minute. What about the skilled labor people who are building the buildings, but what I've, if I'm hearing you.
There was a challenge. Cause we need to build a lot. We need to build them affordably. We need build them quickly. and the business model for block solutions is not only to provide the need for that, but also to create more value in the ecosystem. Can you talk about how you do that?
Markus Silfverberg: Yeah. so the point is really that? when we establish a licensed factory in a country or a town, wherever, we first find a suitable partner on where to partner up. And the local partner then starts making a feasibility study and, checks out,if there's a role material available in the market.
recycled plastics, at some point we can actually use all organic fibers also as a raw material, but That's just not in the first phase. It's going to be a little bit later in the process, but the thing is we aren't going to enable people to start collecting. So employing people over there.
I mainly now focusing on the emerging markets at this point, but letting people collect maybe 20, 30 kilograms of plus. Bringing that to the factory, we will recycle the plastics and create the blocks out of those, which means that when we talk at the waist speakers, we talking about the people who are running the factory, we're actually talking about the people who will then erect the houses. we're talking about creating jobs for 50 to 100 people per one factory. And that is quite big,
Phil Dillard: That's a really, great point, 5,100 jobs created per factory. you put a really clear, message, when people say, technology, innovation creates new jobs. You showcase it really well here. I that. And can you share with folks where you're putting these.
we have now nine factories in the pipeline so we're supposed to deliver nine factories, but, after today we're getting five factories through Indonesia, Jakarta, Lombok, Sumatra, then we're getting factories to, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Namibia, Morocco, Egypt. And, there are actually projects are going also to Brazil and Haiti.
Phil Dillard: Awesome. And back to hate to where it all, started
Markus Silfverberg: Yeah. That's the point?
And these are all places that are very different from Finland. last question in this segment, is really about what you've learned and what different sectors of the economy are.
We talk about there being four sectors, the public sector, the private sector, the NGO sector in this mission-driven for benefit capitalism sector, this four sector. Can you talk about key lessons? You've learned important lessons you've learned from the working with the different sectors in getting this done, or the role of profit, capitalism and policy in this work.
Even though we're, let's say a company with values, we do also understand for a company to be sustainable. It also needs to be properly. that's the only way that you can be sustainable. Of course, I really respect,what the public sector is doing. Also respect what the NGOs are doing and, and so on, but to be a sustainable in the long run, it needs to be a privately held company that is, producing the blocks for the community.
Markus Silfverberg: Employing people over there, creating jobs over there. But for the entrepreneur, because we're talking with our licensees, always an entrepreneur where they're on the local level, so they need to get the food under a table. Also all the employees that they are creating jobs for, I need a long run down.
Of course they need to develop the whole processes. The thing is, especially in Africa, I faced a situation where a lot of,let's say big funders, you asked European union and so on. They're donating for example, houses for people, but they do not involve the people in the process. So they are just, donating, houses over there with hundred flats over there. And nobody wants to live in those houses because they're see something wrong with the system. But when they people are involved, when they sell, forget to build the houses, so what there, they adapted it, they value it, and that's why they want to go for a better future for themselves. And what is important for safety, for a family that our own home, as small as it could be so that they can start to really grow. What we call be the best you can be. That is our motto for those people. so trying to on a short level, trying to grow.
Phil Dillard: So you're working locally with the folks. And that's what the localization about is about. That's what the customization is about. And if I'm hearing you right. You're saying that often philanthropy has done from done to, as opposed to done with, and that's where sometimes the NGOs front of this.
Markus Silfverberg: Yeah. And the thing is what we did, for example, in Lombok, in Indonesia. We involved the community over there. They built their own school over there. We didn't go there to build that school. No, We trained the locals on how to build the school. And when the locals saw how easy it is to build with the blocks the schools over there, they wanted to start building houses for themselves over there.
The kids that were in the school, every single morning they were bringing plastics for us, so that they could have, let's say, enough recycled plastics for their families to build their own homes, which were destroyed in the same earthquake. So this is the thing that I want the people to realize that this. is the contribution that we want to give to the communities.
Phil Dillard: So it sounds like not only are they engaged in the development, so they get what they need. they are also inspired and can start contributing even more in unexpected ways. Has this led to any sort of new business model or any other surprises about what's next in line?
we're building the schools quite many of them that we need to build 200 schools. they said that they don't want to have just one team building the schools. Now when they got the training for every single school that we are building, those schools were getting a new team.
Markus Silfverberg: They want to have new teams to come over there to build the schools because then they can learn. On how to, build with, with the blocks. It is so easy. They said that when we have rehearsed on to build a school, we can now build our own homes with them.
Phil Dillard: So it sounds like, they have already decided that they want to get more people trained on how to build the schools so they could think about things that they can do differently in building their homes. It's almost building a new building sector, a new innovation.
Markus Silfverberg: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Phil Dillard: Outstanding. That's super, super interesting. That's actually also a nice segue into the next segment and segment three, we talk about the solution versus doing nothing. when you go to Haiti, when you go to Lombok and you see earthquakes and tsunamis, you go to the Philippines after tsunami, you see people will rebuild as best that they can for you. What's the heartbreaking part of the issue. that you saw there. and what happens if we do nothing?
We want to give people opportunities. That is the main issue that is driving the driving force for block solutions. They can choose the path that they want to take. If they need to have the food on the table for every single day, we will give them the option. It's not much money that we can give actually for every single kilogram that they bring to the factory.
Markus Silfverberg: But in return, they will get enough food for the everyday table. And in return we have now closed some deals with denim, for example, a Coca Cola company. And they're actually donating, the same amount of, money into a plastic bank account. So when they start uh, bring us, for example, 30 kilograms of plastics, we will give 10 cents, for every kilogram that they bring to us.
So they will get $3. Every single day to get, to provide food for the people, for their own families. That is equity three times more than we, they usually make during a day on top of that, for example, or Coca-Cola they're, doubling it up. So they are donating the same $3 every single day for that particular person.
And that is actually stored in a plastic bag. And with that money, they can at the end of the year, buy the books for their own home. So instead of let's say being idle over there, trying to survive every single day, they can, during one year, make so much optionally sized beings into the bank account that they can build their own home.
Phil Dillard: So you, this is super important and really great. when I was in the Philippines recently, I saw people who were going down to a building that was falling down and they were taking hammers and buckets like paint buckets, and they're beating the. Into little bits and pieces of the concrete, and they're breaking it down at risk of the building falling down on them.
see the rebar underneath and they were walking up these Hills and they're breaking it into little pieces to make contact. To kind of slap together a home or slap together a walkway and add onto the shanty shack that they're talking about. And in the same country, I saw people who were doing these play to earn video games.
Phil Dillard: They're playing video games to our money. So they go out and buy because have work. But what you're saying to me sounds like so smart and so religious that they had to recap it. People go out into the woods, they go to the beach, they grab plus. That was then polluting the environment and they bring it to the factory.
So you could turn into bricks, they get money for food. They get credit for plastics that's, matched by the companies that are actually creating the plastic as it's the most effective way to deliver their product. And they could take that and then buy their homes and improve their homes and their neighborhoods and their communities. And that to me, is, a great impact.
Markus Silfverberg: Yeah, I think that because that's the impact. that we want to give and the thing is, okay, it's totally okay for us that, for they get enough blocks, during that one year to build their own home over there. And if they want to do something else after that, it's totally okay with us because we've served our purpose for that.
And now when they have the safety of their own home, they can start focusing on other things. Maybe they can get a mortgage on the house. Maybe they can, the kids can go to school. That is the point that we want to serve the community.
Phil Dillard: That's beautiful. That's really great stuff. And thanks so much for sharing that. I think it's super clear now in executing. It sounds simple, but there are some challenges for running an efficient organization. Can you talk a little bit about how you structure your organization to be successful and how you've learned a little bit over time, whether something is working or it's not working.
Markus Silfverberg: Yeah. of course. The thing is, unfortunately in lot of the, let's say in the markets, there is a pressure from, different kinds of thugs and so on. So the thing is, when they see that there's an earning model, for example, for somebody. And they will create these kinds of groups and they create these plastic mafias over there also, but we have made some restrictions on that.
a person can only bring in the maximum amount of 30 kilograms per day, and that money goes to that specific guys or ladies, we're not allowing, let's say any, intermediaries going over there to do have people collecting waste plastics, and then take her lorry, bring it to the factory and,get the fund from that.
No. we need to be very strict on this and we need to be transparent with this. So it is also a learning curve for every single one of us. it is just mine troubling. when you can hear the stories of people, how they're being misused or whether
In these countries, are there labor unions? there are in some more, more developed countries or is this of organized or disorganized crime?
Markus Silfverberg: it is this organized crime. That's what I would say. let's say if you have to fight for your food, that is the problem. but we give them viable options to do that. And, and we try to, with our examples, trying to solve those fundamental problems over there. I know that we're just a small, tiny droplet in the ocean, but trying to do our chair.
Phil Dillard: Yeah,every part matters and if people can effectively build some of their homes in interesting ways, and I encourage people to, you know, look at the show notes or go to the block solutions websites, and you'll see some of these designs, it makes a big difference. When I was in the Navy in walking into some, one of the nit shanty neighborhoods in Kenya, where people just had cement blocks and wood that had washed up on the beach and, things that were slapped together.
And if we want to elevate humans to be living in the abundance that we know that we have for all of them, this is, this sound seems like a great way to get there. And I appreciate,what you're doing.
Markus Silfverberg: Especially when you think about the circumstances that they have or where they're living in a sea container, for example, when there's, let's say. Plus a hundred degrees Fahrenheit outside is 140 degrees inside the container and they're supposed to live over there. that's a really important point because a lot of times we talk about how people in the global south are more vulnerable to climate change. You talked about what you see in Finland. And when I was there, people joked that it was still cold, it was less snow, but, you still don't want to lose your.
Phil Dillard: Yeah, you don't want to lose the permafrost in Russia, but you also don't want your country to be washed away or do we so hot that it's unlivable and creating and designing structures that are low cost, but give people a better resource than living in a, a shipping container.
Markus Silfverberg: I have to say that low cost doesn't mean low quality. It is actually a very high quality product. It's just made the other way. That is
Phil Dillard: Absolutely
I do understand that people have their doubts about living in a plastic cups. But then when they see it, that the house is actually looking just the way the normal house would look like it's just made in a fraction of the cost and, just the minimal time compared to normal way of building.
Markus Silfverberg: So building a house like we did in Lombok, the family who lost their home in the earthquake, we built the house in one day, they moved in the same night into that.
the other thing is if there's another earthquake, if there's another hurricane, first it's designed to be more stable. Second, even if something happened, let's say there's a landslide at it, knocks away the building, people could pick up the pieces, grind them back into pellets and then turn them into interim into another building because you have the, because you have the factory on site.
Markus Silfverberg: Yeah. and most likely, actually 90% of the blocks will remain in.
Right. So, I mean, all of that seems to be a very smart, innovation and leads to the impact that we're shooting for. So I'm very excited. I hope people are excited to learn more and I hope they go and take a look at the material at the. technical characteristics of the material and the designs of the homes and see what they might be able to do close to them.
Phil Dillard: I got to shift to the final segment, cause I know we have we're limited on time. We could probably keep you talking all day and we'd love it. But, final segment, we take five minutes and we go quickly through,our recap, our lightening round. real quickly. Okay. question one 10 years from now. What does success look like to you?
Markus Silfverberg: Success in my eyes looks like when we get people out of. That is the main issue over here that we're trying to do. And of course that means that we will have, a few hundred factories all around the globe, but it means that you can see the smiling faces for people who haven't had the smiles any day in the past life.
Phil Dillard: Upstanding, super, question number two right now, outside of your company, is there a project program, campaign or creation that inspires you?
Markus Silfverberg: you? and inhabit that a participatory Islam upgrading program is one of the things that we need to try to let's say, get, into public. there are 27 slums in the world, that have about 27 million people. We're trying to get them out of the slumps, at least trying to upgrade the slumps that they have over there.
It's made from tin roofing. So let's say the living conditions are substandard, really substandard, and we're trying to also solve the problem in Haiti in Port-au-Prince. we are going to relocate one and a half million people from the Delta area. In Port-au-Prince just to give the people the option, because it seems that the intensity of earthquakes is increasing now in the Gulf over there.
which means that we're just expecting it. It can happen any single time. Now that there's going to be a major earthquake and with the tsunami over there, and it is the lowest end of infrastructure with it. they would die. we need to do something with that and fast.
That's gosh, it's so touching, right? the more I think about it. Thinking about people living in such shameful conditions when there's something that we can do about it. and people say, you know, do well by doing good, make money by making people's lives better,
Markus Silfverberg: That's. the point. It can be profitable, but it doesn't mean that we're going to rip anybody.
To me, that's what real capitalism really is. That's what capital in the hands of the people. That's what, free enterprise and innovation free hands of the markets. And that's what it's supposed to be enabled to do. I love that goal. If we can take 27 million people out of slums and get them into housing that is.
Phil Dillard: Safe and clean and efficient and has power and has the ability to have as clean power. Maybe it's solar has clean cookstoves, maybe it's from waste gas, or maybe it's, electric has clean water. How much more productive can they be? How much more can they be contributing to the society? How much better as humanity?
Markus Silfverberg: That's the point? I think we're the enablers with our technology. We can do, as a said, be the best you can be. That's what we want to provide the.
Phil Dillard: man. Amen. And I'm glad people get to hear this from you, Markus, I just love what you're doing. Okay. Question number three. What are the most important thing that individuals can do to lead to a better future?
Markus Silfverberg: think out of the box, the thing is, can you imagine yourself living in a house, that is made from plastics, which is more environmentally friendly, which is sustainable. And, not just to, think that the old fashioned way, I know that the construction industry is very, very old fashioned. You have to remember that I was, a building inspector in Germany, in my, let's say early, early twenties, but let's say, come on. It is so damn boring and a time of waste of time, actually.
Phil Dillard: Yeah. I could see that right when I first heard about it, I said, what? if anybody's hearing this and you're skeptical, see it to believe it.
innovations, really smart. Sometimes we do things the same way all the time, because we've always done them that way. Not because it's the best way to do them.
Phil Dillard: And this is a great innovation. okay. question number four. What's the most important thing that governments and NGOs can do to lead to a better future?
so when they make, new plans for future, they should also support these new technologies to come by, especially when it comes to,environment friendly solution. Talking about the construction energy, clean water. We have so brilliant minds in the world that it's a scar CCD of what's available in the market, but it is the large corporates who are actually controlling on what is going into the market.
Markus Silfverberg: So we need to be bold. We need to take active steps. To enable these new technologies to come by. I'm not going to tell you any names, but for example, the company, when the construction sector, so our, product, they're just wanting to buy us off and, put it in burying into the ground so that we would have done with the technology is it was too disruptive.
Phil Dillard: And that's why we need infinite companies, right? That's why we need companies that aren't in a traditional, venture capital cycle or whichever when doing impact, they need to be able to resist capital. That's going to put the innovation on the shelf and have a pathway towards people, investing in them and people making them grow,
Markus Silfverberg: And it's good to have investors, but they can be impactful investors. And I'm pretty sure that the people. are now becoming much more aware what the impact investing is. Of course, we also do need investments into the company. That is how we're going to scale it as fast as possible. But those are the ones who can, let's say maybe tolerate a little bit lower yield on actually investment payback time.
It can be a little bit longer, but in the long run they can sleep there. Nice nights, variable. Without any burdens?
Back to your point, you can't put a price on your children having snow and having the culture that you grew up with so that you continue. What made Finland special? What made a unique place in the world? Can't put a price. Right.but you can put a price on how much your heating costs or your cooling costs change or your labor costs or the recovery from emergencies or for catastrophes and on and on and on and on and on.
Phil Dillard: So there is a changing financial metric that you're showing a clear linkage to in, in what your.
Markus Silfverberg: Yeah, absolutely.
Phil Dillard: Awesome. last question. I kind want to ask a question about, policies of governments, but I think we're just out of town on, I need to respect that. Maybe we'll come back a little bit and dig into that, but, final thought, are there any final thoughts you want to share with our listeners, that the, as you reflect on this conversation that you'd want them to take away with.
think about the future. The thing is, We can still change the future of our children, our grandchildren, but the time to act is really now. we're so focused just on a annual growth and so on. it's important. I understand that. But the thing is we can also do a sustainable growth, which is, in line with. what our mother earth can cope.
Phil Dillard: That's a great thing to part with. And. Really appreciate you sharing all of your wisdom, insight, and accomplishments. big fan Vic advocate, obviously a partner. so look forward to seeing the amazing things can happen. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule, to share with us who you are, what you're about and how block solutions is making a positive impact on the world, Markus.
Markus Silfverberg: Thank you. Thank you very much.
Phil Dillard: And thank you all for joining us on this episode. We hope to see you again.
Phil Dillard: Thank you for listening to this episode of Thruline to the 4th Sector. I’m your host, Phil Dillard. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a rating, and tell a friend!
To learn more about the 4th sector economy, visit thrulinenetworks.com. That’s T-H-R-U-L-I-N-E networks dot com. Thanks again we hope to have you with us in the next episode