Organizational Microdosing Ritual in a Startup Thesis

A Fresh Take on Startup Culture: Microdosing for Productivity and Team Building.

Microdosing and its various applications are not only being studied in medical labs but also as case studies in universities worldwide. 

Bodhy Buit is a recent master’s graduate from the University of Amsterdam and already making waves in publications like Wired for the thesis he submitted on organizational microdosing rituals in startups. 

In other words, Buit studied how a startup company microdosed as a team and tracked the impact both on the overall team and on each individual.

What Was The Microdosing Protocol Used?

Participants (aka employees of the startup) microdosed psilocybin truffles. 

They followed the Fadiman Protocol for at least 4 weeks, with dosages varying between 0.26 grams and 1 gram. 

What Did Buit’s Experiment Observe?

Upon completion of the experiment, Buit noticed that individually each participant reported feeling simultaneously more peaceful and focused.

When it comes to accessing focus, one employee reported: 

“And at some point, I realized, wow. I’ve been typing for like an hour or something. […] Normally I’m aware that I have focus. And now I wasn’t even aware of it..” 

Regarding peacefulness and anxiety, another employee shared: 

“I often felt a bit less stressed. For example, on Monday mornings, which are usually quite hectic, I would normally immediately feel stressed, not heavily stressed, but just a gut feeling of, ‘Oh, we have a lot to do.’ But now, my mind was a bit calmer” 

In terms of group dynamics, this study suggests that microdosing as a team might have contributed to the company adopting a more open attitude towards unconventional approaches. 

This increase in open-mindedness might have potentially led to additional positive changes both individually and collectively.

What Were The Drawbacks, If Any?

There were some observations made on an individual level that suggested potential adverse effects. Most commonly, participants reported slight discomforts such as headaches, an increase in anxiety, and a sense of flatness/indifference.

The master’s student and author of this thesis concluded that participants indicated any potentially negative perceptions faded into insignificance in comparison to the positive outcomes of a microdosing practice in the workplace.

Overall, The Collective Microdosing Experience Was

Beneficial.

In the words of the thesis author:

But, Seriously

Does this experiment suggest that every innovative start-up should start microdosing with their team? No.

Active microdosers freely admit that microdosing is not for everyone and is also not a magic bullet.

There are many considerations to be had before microdosing with the work team, both medical and ethical.

Food for Thought

Considering the future implications of microdosing psychedelics for the benefit of a corporate team is not a sentence I ever thought I would write.

We are not quite sure as to what these implications might be, but so far so good, right?

So, what’s your take? Could you see something like this becoming a norm in startups, or does it cross the line for you? 

Drop a comment below; I’m super excited to hear your thoughts!

As always, 

Shine bright. Do good. Flow strong.

Asha ✨