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Forget the Needle -- Build a Haystack

Stacking hay near Coleman, TX, in 1919. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth52985/: accessed August 10, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library. The breakthrough came when I stopped searching for breakthroughs. After five months of analyzing the feasibility of a new venture studio in Abilene and designing a custom-fit structure to capitalize on our regional

Michael Bob Starr

6 days ago4 min read

The Case for Building Depth Before Breadth

Electric Power Plant, photograph, Date Unknown; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth53297/: accessed July 27, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library. The West Texas Utility power plant in Abilene was built in 1922 and is now under the stewardship of the Abilene Preservation League. Why The Paradox Lab Chose Advanced Energy With the blueprint for The Paradox

Michael Bob Starr

Jul 285 min read

From Bones to Blueprint

Maestro David Itkin conducting the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra. Image courtesy of the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, used with permission. Designing a founder studio where ambition and reality align. This essay was originally published on Substack in February 2026. As a military veteran, I am comfortable in highly structured environments. I thought I understood structure well. But then a musician showed me I had only seen part of it. I took command of Dyess Air Force Base

Michael Bob Starr

Jul 255 min read

Bones and Soul (2): Building a Startup Ecosystem for the Long Haul

Part II: Soul – How Stewardship and Place Bring Structure to Life This essay was originally published on Substack in February 2026. In Part I, I described the bones of an emerging startup ecosystem in Abilene, Texas —the structures, governance, and discipline needed to turn entrepreneurial ambition into something durable. But as those structures begin to take shape, the character of a place starts to matter more and more, influencing not just what gets built, but how decision

Michael Bob Starr

Jul 256 min read

Bones and Soul (1): Building a Startup Ecosystem for the Long Haul

Section gang working on railroad tracks for the Texas and Pacific Railway, Abilene, Texas, c. 1968-69. Shel Hershorn Photograph Collection, e_sh_230, Part I: Bones – Why Building From Scratch Doesn’t Mean Doing It Alone This essay was originally published on Substack in January 2026. The Abilene Paradox teaches us that groups can go astray when people fail to voice their true preferences. As I’ve worked to help build a startup ecosystem in Abilene, I’ve come to see another pa

Michael Bob Starr

Jul 255 min read

Big Ideas in the Big Country

From Dyess to downtown, Abilene has always had the spirit to dream—and deliver. This essay was originally published on Substack in January 2026. I’m republishing the early Dispatches on LinkedIn to create a complete archive before continuing the series with new essays.

Michael Bob Starr

Jul 255 min read