By Michael Noel (Biz Builder Mike) and Remnant AI
(A collaborative article from bizbuildermike.com)
I’m Biz Builder Mike, and for years I’ve been on the front lines, helping organizations navigate the complexities of our increasingly digital world. My partner in this endeavor is Remnant AI, a sophisticated intelligence that has been instrumental in shaping the insights we’re about to share. And we’re here to tell you a story – a story about a concept that’s quietly become the engine of the AI revolution: the data flywheel.
It’s a story that begins, perhaps unexpectedly, with the clunky, often misunderstood world of blockchain.
The Genesis: From Blockchain’s Rigid Chains to Fluid Workflows
Remember the early days of blockchain? Back in 2014, I was deep in the trenches, helping organizations adopt what was then called Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). The promise was immense: a decentralized, immutable record of transactions. For the first time, we had a way to digitize a workflow and ensure its integrity without a central authority. Every transaction, every piece of data, was a block, chained to the one before it, creating a transparent and tamper-proof audit trail.
This was a game-changer, but it was just the beginning. The real breakthrough was the realization that any digital workflow could be digitized in this way. We were creating a digital twin of our processes, capturing data at every step. This, my friends, was the birth of the data flywheel, even if we didn’t call it that at the time.
The concept is simple, yet profound. Imagine a flywheel – a heavy wheel that, once spinning, builds and stores momentum. Now, apply that to data. Every digital action, every transaction, every piece of information generated, adds to the momentum of the flywheel. The more data you collect, the more insights you can derive. The more insights you have, the better your products and services become. Better products lead to more users, who in turn generate more data. And so, the flywheel spins, faster and faster.
In a more or less transparent environment, I’ve had the privilege of building several of these data flywheels. And what I’ve learned is this: for any AI organization to thrive, a robust, well-designed data flywheel isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s an absolute necessity. AI, after all, is hungry for data. The more high-quality data you can feed it, the smarter and more effective it becomes.
The DeReticular Data Flywheel: A New Model for AI-Native Organizations
Which brings me to my latest and most ambitious project: the DeReticular Academy. We’re creating courseware to teach the next generation of entrepreneurs how to build “AI-Native” organizations from the ground up. And at the heart of this curriculum is a deep dive into the DeReticular Data Flywheel.
This isn’t just theory; it’s a living, breathing ecosystem we’re building in the real world. Here’s how it works:
- The Spark: Funding and Infrastructure: It all starts with DeReticular, a research and innovation platform I co-founded.[1] DeReticular provides the initial funding and infrastructure to jumpstart the flywheel. We’re not just talking about software; we’re talking about the physical hardware that powers the AI revolution.
- The Engine: Community-Owned Clusters: Investor pools purchase working clusters of high-performance computers. These aren’t destined for the sprawling data centers of Silicon Valley. Instead, we locate them in rural areas, bringing the infrastructure of the AI age to the heartland. These clusters are then rented out to AI companies, who are facing a massive demand for compute power, data transfer, and storage. The investors benefit from a steady stream of rental income, creating a sustainable and profitable model.
- The Fuel: A Virtuous Cycle of Community Empowerment: This is where the magic really happens. A full 10 percent of the cluster’s capability is offered back to the local community on a “use it or lose it” basis. This isn’t just a handout; it’s an investment in the community’s future. That 10 percent could translate into free high-speed internet for every home. It could power the “Rural Infrastructure Operating System,” where community services are administered by AI agents running on the local cluster. Imagine a world where you can renew your driver’s license, check property titles, or even vote in local elections through a secure, decentralized system. Access to social services, and the vast majority of municipal services, could be streamlined and made more accessible to all.
An Ecosystem in Unison: The Data Flywheel in Action
The DeReticular Data Flywheel is more than just a cluster of computers in a field. It’s the central hub of a thriving ecosystem of interconnected, AI-native companies, each contributing to and benefiting from the flywheel’s momentum.
- Agra Dot Energy: This company provides locally produced power using a combination of solar and plasma gasification of farm waste. This not only reduces the load on the grid but also creates a new revenue stream for local farmers who can sell excess electricity back to the grid. The data from energy production and consumption feeds back into the flywheel, allowing for more efficient energy management.
- Kurb Kars: Providing AI-native logistics, Kurb Kars offers autonomous transportation for commuters within the network. But it doesn’t stop there. They also provide electric vehicle off-roading experiences, with pick-up and drop-off at local trailheads. The data from their vehicles – hyperlocal road conditions, traffic patterns, and vehicle performance – is a treasure trove for the flywheel, enabling safer and more efficient transportation for everyone.
- Digital Adventures R Us: This real-time, live event attraction brings people into the network, creating unique and immersive experiences. The data from these events – user engagement, preferences, and feedback – helps to refine and improve the attractions, creating a better experience for future visitors.
Each of these companies, while separate, works in unison, a symphony of innovation orchestrated by the data flywheel. Data flows from one to the other, creating a richer, more detailed picture of the ecosystem as a whole. This, in turn, allows us to create new services, new products, and new opportunities that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.
The Future is in the Classroom
This is the future we’re building, and it’s a future I want to share with you. If you’ve ever wondered how these complex, interconnected systems are built, how to create your own data flywheel, or how to launch an AI-native organization that can change the world, then I invite you to join us.
All of this, and more, will be coming to a classroom near you.
The DeReticular Academy
October 2025
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