Uppercase is Cargo-culting
Or: the politics of partial success
Briefly, “Uppercase” goals refer to the aspiration of a brand or initiative to become a widely recognized, household name within a category (like “Kleenex”). In contrast, “lowercase” initiatives aim to change how people think, behave, or organize without necessarily relying on a prominent brand or idol. They often deliberately avoid strong definitions or labels for as long as possible1:
If you are trying to change the way people think…or behave…or organize, you want to be lowercase. Uppercase movements are contingent on the reputation of an idol or brand. A successful lowercase strategy should avoid definitions and titles and labels for as long as possible.
Timber acknowledges that neither “Uppercase” or “lowercase” are inherently bad or good, and as so often, “YMMV”:
There’s no right answer – nor are these things […] mutually exclusive – it’s just a contour of the landscape that you should consider.
I believe, however, that aspiring to be “Uppercase” carries a significant risk: the means can become the end itself, effectively turning “Uppercase” into “Cargo-culting.”
“Uppercase” is Cargo-culting
This occurs when the desire for status or recognition (the “Uppercase” aspiration) overshadows the actual “building of the thing.” New startups, for instance, frequently claim they want to become “the next [insert your current favourite brand or industry idol],” but this well-intentioned signalling and “fake-it-till-you-make-it” mentality can devolve into mere hand-waving, hoping for a desired outcome to magically manifest, rather than focusing on solid development. This fits the classic definition of a cargo cult, where rituals are performed with the expectation of a specific outcome, without understanding the underlying mechanisms.
Looking at the mechanics of 'Uppercase' cargo-culting, it's clear that VC money plays a pivotal role, particularly in the tech industry. As Meredith Whittaker said in an interview a few years ago2: “[T]he venture capital business model needs to be understood as requiring hype.”
In a somewhat related train of thought, the research into “The Politics of Partial Success”3 by Dan Bretznitz and Darius Ornston offers another compelling example of the “Uppercase” versus “lowercase” dynamic. Their work examines the (often partial) success of innovation agencies, particularly concerning their profile, prestige, and funding versus their actual agency in driving radical innovation.
They found a relatively straightforward relationship: highly visible ('Uppercase') innovation initiatives, which attract significant political and economic interest and increased funding, often experience a capture of their resources, limiting them in their capacity for radical innovation. Conversely, “Schumpeterian development agencies” (SDAs), which are peripheral and often low-profile (“lowercase”), have more agency to pursue radical innovation, but often at the cost of being marginalized and underfunded.
Their research suggests a trade-off in politicized environments: you can either have significant agency (and pursue radical change) at the price of being marginalized and potentially underfunded, or enjoy increased visibility (and more resources) at the expense of your agency. But you can hardly have both.
Here in Switzerland, “NATEL” (for “Nationales AutoTELefonnetz”) has been the Uppercase name for “mobile phone” for decades. Even after the monopoly for mobile telecom services fell, it continued to be used throughout the country for *any* mobile phone (and subscription). It was so engrained (and ego-laden) by its owner , the former state-owned Swisscom, that it even led them into a legal battle with a group of high school students who had created a free, not-for-profit comparison site for mobile subscriptions. Their crime: they dared to use “NATEL” in its name. Eventually, the federal court decided that the brand had become synonymous with the category of a mobile phone, that there was no point in complaining, and that the company should rather be grateful for having become the household name for mobile phones.
Whittaker, Meredith. 2023. “5 questions for Meredith Whittaker” Interview by Derek Robertson. Politico. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/digital-future-daily/2023/12/01/5-questions-for-meredith-whittaker-00129677.
Breznitz, Dan, and Darius Ornston. 2018. ‘The Politics of Partial Success: Fostering Innovation in Innovation Policy in an Era of Heightened Public Scrutiny’. Socio-Economic Review 16 (4): 721–41. https://doi.org/10.1093/ser/mww018.