A Call to End Conformity Waste With Human Uniqueness Engineering

I’m Fed Up With Conformity Waste

The more I’ve worked hands-on with people identifying their “inner species”—the sweet spot where their strengths, personality, passions, values, and optimal environments converge—the more something has fueled my indignation, bewilderment, and excitement:

We waste a ludicrous amount of human potential.

Call it “conformity waste.” Society systematically tames us. Follow paths, measure against averages, fight for status.

Sure, we have piecemeal support for leveraging our unique wiring:

Ikigai gives us four circles to stare at.
Gallup’s StrengthsFinder makes millions making little difference.
The self-help complex doles out endless booster shots to “be your best, truest self.”
Life/career/business coaches, counsellors, therapists, and gurus support individuals to varying degrees of success.

But there’s no systematic, unified how. No collective, concerted effort to answer the question clearly and powerfully enough to eliminate guesswork:

“If there were an all-knowing CEO of Humanity, what role would they assign each of us to maximize our fulfillment and contribution?”

The global scale of this conformity waste is staggering: trillions of dollars in untapped potential, countless lives underfulfilled.

We need a better answer.

Counting on Luck Sucks

Sure, some people find their element—the place in this world where they leverage their unique strengths, passions, and values in ways where “the reward for good work is more work,” and they get compensated well enough for it.

Credit to them for working hard, believing in themselves, taking calculated risks, ignoring the naysayers, or successfully manifesting. But luck remains a bigger factor than it needs to be. They tinkered and tinkered until, finally, click—they landed in the right place at the right time with the right abilities: product-market fit for their inner species.

Even then, many veer off track later. Not knowing the first principles of why they clicked, they get lured away by promises of “more,” finding themselves once again out of their element.

Most people, though, never get close to clicking. Their inner species ends up like an elephant at a Thai construction site: grateful, perhaps even content, to be fed, sheltered, and given occasional treats for applying their natural talents, but ultimately tamed, drained, and far from the environment or role where they could truly thrive and contribute

It Shouldn’t Be So Hard

I count myself as fortunate for being blessed with an especially unruly “inner species.” It’s prevented me from settling long-term into paths misaligned with who I am, even when externally successful. And it’s such a spiky pain in my ass when dissatisfied, that it eventually forced me to stop, look in its direction, and plead, “What the hell is your problem?”

Twelve years ago, I “pretired” from corporate life to chart my own path. Five years ago, I committed to researching human potential and systematically testing frameworks. Yet it still took hundreds of hours of experimenting, reflecting, writing, and refining to clearly map my inner wiring. And even now, I’m still struggling to unleash it beyond just a few thousand casual subscribers and a handful of curious individuals.

What if I could travel back and hand my younger self a systematic, practical approach to identify and harness my uniqueness? How much wasted effort, angst, and frustration could I have avoided? How much greater an impact could I have today?

This hits home even harder now as I observe the metamorphosis of my two sons’ inner species. I have no idea how their wiring will come together, but you best believe I won’t let them struggle to understand and unleash theirs as much as I did mine.

But how? Where, how, and around whom do I raise them? I’ll do my best to figure it out. I have the resources, ability, and predisposition to feel confident I’ll minimize their contribution to conformity waste. But what about my kids’ friends? Other kids in other cities, other countries? What about adults? What about you?

It seems preposterous that something this crucial is so systematically overlooked.

We Already Have the Tools. Where’s the System?

Why, with all our accumulated knowledge in neurology, psychology, and biology, and with all the powerful new tools in data analysis, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, do we still lack a systematic, practical approach to harnessing individual uniqueness?

Because it’s too complicated?

Until recently, I might have accepted that excuse. But in the past few months, as I’ve interviewed, assessed, and mapped out others’ inner species (and refined clarity on my own), those doubts have dissolved. With nothing more than myself, a laptop, and some carefully-crafted AI prompting, I’ve helped people gain more clarity about their innate wiring in hours than I achieved in years of reading, podcast-listening, reflecting, and trial-and-error.

Imagine how effectively we could unleash individuals’ uniqueness if qualified experts and intelligent collaborators rallied around this cause.

Uniqueness Needs Joint Forces

I’ve connected with others like Marloes Bouwmeester, Jeff Baker, and Jack Skeen doing similar work, helping individuals find their natural advantage, zone of genius, or life roadmap. They, too, see extraordinary results but struggle to clearly articulate and market their unique value

Other entrepreneurs I’ve chatted with, like Dan Cumberland, Paul Davidescu, and Jamie Toyne, tangentially help people unleash their uniqueness without articulating it that way.

And many others I know parasocially (because they don’t respond to my messages) also align philosophically: David Senra, Patrick O’Shaughnessy, Paul Millerd, Justin Welsh, Scott Barry Kaufman, Christopher Lockhead, Eddie Yoon, and many more (no doubt including some non-middle-aged WEIRD-os guys. I guess I have a type.)

We all share a disdain for conformity waste and a desire to help others unleash their uniqueness. Unfortunately, we’re also incorrigibly independent, each pursuing our own missions in our own environments.

Yes, positive psychology, life design, holistic coaching, and talent development organizations are doing related work. But where’s the adaptor to plug us all in together?

Why can’t we collaborate on systematically understanding and unleashing individual uniqueness?

Imagine the amplified impact we could have if we joined forces under one clear, unifying banner. What we need is a label, a clear category to rally around.

We Need Human Uniqueness Engineering

I propose the name “Human Uniqueness Engineering” (HUE). It’s not perfect and a big mouthful, but it’s a start. And the acronym “hue,” meaning a master wavelength, fits.

Imagine HUE becoming a recognized field, where experts from psychology, neurobiology, systems engineering, machine learning, and the arts collaborate to systematically unlock human uniqueness. Picture conferences, institutes, journals, podcasts, bestselling books. HUE experts consulting at schools, companies, and communities worldwide. Marloes, Jack, Jeff, and I would finally have something to call ourselves that fits better than “life coach” or “career consultant.”

Think of the progress we could make if we collectively pursued this shared vision: leveraging cutting-edge technology and best practices to systematically help individuals discover their innate wiring, articulate it clearly, and find the roles and environments where they can contribute fully.

That would be a dream for me.

HELP!

This Human Uniqueness Engineering idea will remain a fantasy if I go at it alone. My wiring isn’t suited for rallying crowds or social organizing. I’m a pragmatic, socially unastute systems designer and tinkerer. Curiosity without charisma. Logic minus persuasion.

Take this post you’re reading for example: I believe this idea deserves attention. I also believe only three or four people will respond, saying, “Nice one, Chris.” Everyone else will move on with their day, waiting for someone else to make things easier for them and their inner species. (And that’s in spite of this unsubtle challenge to prove me wrong.)

So yeah, I need help.

My goal isn’t to lead HUE (or whatever better name someone can come up with), but to help catalyze its creation.

Here’s my specific ask:

If you’re working on anything remotely HUE-related or are passionate about contributing, tell me about yourself. Let’s connect.
If you know someone personally or follow thought leaders exploring related themes, point me their way—or better yet, introduce us.
And if you think this sounds unrealistic, tell me what makes you think so. That way I can improve my arguments and approaches.

What are we waiting for?

Technology, especially AI, is accelerating so rapidly that major changes are inevitable. Rather than react, let’s proactively shape those changes, systematically unleashing and leveraging human uniqueness. Let’s minimize conformity waste and create a flourishing ecosystem where every inner species can thrive.

Thanks for reading,

Keep doing exciting things,

Chris

P.S. Personalized Conformity Waste Reduction Service

If you’re uncertain about your own uniqueness and how to leverage it, consider my ARC program.

It’s no longer free, but I’m as available now as I’ll ever be. Send me an email describing your situation and interest. If it seems like a good fit, we’ll have a free, insightful, and entertaining chat.

P.S. Personalized Conformity Waste Reduction Service

If you’re uncertain about your own uniqueness and how to leverage it, consider my ARC program.

P.P.S. Former or Current Superhero Fan?

Think of Human Uniqueness Engineering as a real-world version of the School for Gifted Youngsters from the X-Men.

Professor X identifies mutants ostracized for their differences, helps them hone their powers, and positions them where they can contribute most meaningfully. A “HUE Institute” could accomplish something similar, but on a broader scale. We’re all mutants genetically, after all, just with less cool powers and spandex uniforms.

P.P.S. Focus on Focusing

For inspiration to focus on doing something extraordinary with your life (like start a chicken wing empire):Consider listening to this conversation between two of the guys I mentioned having a parasocial relationship with, Patrick O’Shaughnessy and David Senra. (Spotify, Apple)