Serendipitor’s Journey

Welcome to Serendipitor’s Journey

This blog is a reflection on my long-standing fascination with serendipity—the art of unexpected discoveries—and its transformative role in innovation, creativity, and collaboration. From creating one of the world’s first coworking environments designed to harness serendipity to sharing ideas globally and contributing to academic and commercial thought leadership, this journey has been both personal and professional. Here, I recount the milestones, insights, and inspirations that have shaped my path, as well as my ongoing mission to champion the power of serendipity in a rapidly changing VUCA world.

 In 2003, I embarked on a journey that would define much of my professional and intellectual pursuits. It began with an idea: creating a new kind of working environment where different people could come together, fostering unexpected encounters and new opportunities. This vision became the netWork Oasis project (2003–2006), with the slogan: “Increasing the chance of serendipitous encounters between diverse individuals.”

Milestone 1: The Emergence of Serendipity as a Concept

During one of our workshops in 2003, I first heard the term serendipity. It immediately captivated me. The concept of chance discoveries resonated deeply with my belief that innovation often stems from the unexpected. This fascination fueled the creation of one of the world’s first state-of-the-art coworking environments, netWork Oasis opened its doors in 2006 at the Joensuu Science Park in Finland.

The space was specifically designed to “harness serendipity”—a groundbreaking idea at the time. One of its most emblematic areas, the Serendipity Café, still stands today, reflecting the ethos of unexpected collaboration and creativity.

Milestone 2: Taking the Message Global

From 2004 until now, I have delivered numerous keynotes and participated in global seminars, sharing insights on the role of serendipity in fostering innovation. My focus has been on developing innovation environments, introducing the concept of the 3rd Generation Science Park and promoting the use of. competence platforms and serendipity management in ecosystem orchestration.These experiences and feedback from a global audience have deepened my understanding of how physical spaces, use of competence platforms, cultural frameworks, and intentional design can amplify the probability of serendipitous breakthroughs.

Milestone 3: Launching RespectSerendipity.com

In 2010, I took a more personal step in this journey by launching my blog, www.respectserendipity.com, and introducing the phrase “Respect Serendipity”. The blog became a platform to share stories, insights, and reflections about the role of chance, creativity, and collaboration in fostering innovation. Unfortunately, there was a long period 2017- 2024 when I wasn’t actively updating the blog pages. But from now on there will be interesting issues discussed!

Milestone 4: The Birth of “Serendipitor”

In 2010, I also coined the term “Serendipitor” to describe someone who actively seeks and cultivates serendipitous opportunities. It reflects a mindset and approach to life that embraces curiosity, openness, and the unexpected. Around the same time, I got an idea to launch my Twitter account @Serendipitor, which became a channel for sharing insights, reflections, and inspirations on the art and science of serendipity (among many other issues of course). I was really happy that the Twitter domain Serendipitor was available!

Milestone 5: Publishing Oasis Way and the Postnormal EraHow Understanding Serendipity Will Lead You to Success.

2014 marked the publication of my book, “Oasis Way and the Postnormal Era – How Understanding Serendipity Will Lead You to Success.” It delves into how embracing serendipity can provide a competitive edge in a rapidly changing world. The book connects my experiences with theoretical insights, offering practical guidance on creating environments where serendipity thrives.

Milestone 6: Founding the “Serendipity Management” Facebook Group

In 2014, I founded also the Facebook group “Serendipity Management” (link). The group became a vibrant platform for engaging discussions on how serendipity can be understood, nurtured, and managed in various contexts. Over the years, it has brought together professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts from diverse fields to share ideas, insights, and experiences. However, in recent years I have neglected the management and promotion of the group and I am now committed to revitalizing it. My goal is to re-engage the community, foster more active discussions, and share fresh insights and resources to make ‘Serendipity Management’ a vibrant hub for serendipity enthusiasts once again.

Milestone 7: A Memorable Weekend with Pek van Andel

In 2015, I had the privilege of spending a weekend with Pek van Andel, one of the pioneering researchers in serendipity. This unforgettable experience in the Netherlands involved hours of deep, thought-provoking conversations. Pek’s profound understanding of serendipity and his groundbreaking work inspired me to further explore the concept. Our discussions reinforced my commitment to studying and applying serendipity in innovation, creativity, and everyday life.

Milestone 8: Joining the First Serendipity Society Meeting

In 2019, I participated in the first international meeting of the Serendipity Society in London. This gathering brought together leading researchers in the field, including Pek van Andel, Stephan Makri, Lori McCay-Peet, Samantha Copeland, Wendy Ross, Bernard Beitman, Sanda Erdelez, and Martin Sand. The event was a milestone in the academic exploration of serendipity, and the enriching discussions helped deepen my understanding of its multidisciplinary nature.

The Journey Continues…

Throughout this long journey, two thoughts have lingered in the back of my mind, shaping my curiosity and determination:

  1. The complete neglect and dismissal of Arthur Koestler’s masterpiece, The Act of Creation (1964), by both the academic community studying serendipity and the broader business world. Koestler’s groundbreaking work on creativity and the intersection of disciplines has been foundational for my understanding of serendipity, yet it remains astonishingly overlooked.
  2. The evolution of my own research journey. Over the years, my ideas and vision have matured, and recent events have reignited my passion for exploring serendipity in a more structured way. Although I have published several peer-reviewed articles on the topic, the ultimate effort—a doctoral dissertation—remains unfinished.

In July 2024, a message from Christian Busch, who has done outstanding work conceptualizing and promoting serendipity research and also authored a successful commercial book, served as a catalyst for my thinking. Christian shared news about a Call for Papers for a Special Issue in the Strategic Management Journal titled “Chance, Luck, and Serendipity in Strategy and Management”, set to be published in late 2025. This opportunity resonated deeply with me, and I am now preparing an academic paper for this issue, firmly grounded in Arthur Koestler’s brilliant insights.

At the same time, this renewed focus has sparked my interest in writing another commercial book—after all, it has been a decade since the publication of Oasis Way and the Postnormal Era. It feels like the right moment to bring forth the ideas that have been incubating for years, to document them for future generations, and to inspire others to embrace the magic of serendipity in their lives and work.

The journey is far from over. In fact, it feels like it is only just beginning again. It’s time to unearth these long-matured thoughts, articulate them, and share them with the world.

The adventure continues… Stay tuned!

 

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Serendipitor

One could describe me as an Explorer of my personal life, since I have been there – seen that, so many fascinating topics and projects over the past decades. I am the founder or co-founder of seven different companies since 1984 .- one could use the term “serial entrepreneur”, but I personally don’t like to be called that way. I believe that my life is a journey – and even though it sometimes looks like I am wandering around, I have a solid feeling that I am not lost. Read more

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