Tl;dr Versions

Want the formal proofs? See: Full Academic Paper ▶ The Problem in One Sentence How do you let someone earning $300/month buy the same thing as someone earning $10,000/month? How do you let someone earning $300/month in Nigeria buy the same thing as someone earning $10,000/month in Switzerland, without either subsidizing the Nigerian or penalizing the Swiss? ▶ The Solution Three currencies that all spend the same, but get acquired differently... Three currencies that all spend the same, but get acquired differently. ▶ Meet the Gears Credits for everyone, Marks for weaker economies, Joules for stronger economies... Currency Who Gets It What It Does Credits Everyone The main money. Spends everywhere. Marks People from weaker economies Tops up your Credits so you have full purchasing power. Clears through participation. Joules People from stronger economies Stores your extra value. Redeemable later at the rate you locked in. ▶ How It Actually Works Bob in Nigeria and Mary in Switzerland both get 100 Credits—neither got charity, neither got screwed... Say the baseline is $1 = 1 Credit. ...

Want the formal proofs? See: Full Academic Paper ▶ The Problem in One Sentence Most new products fail because nobody knew if anyone actually wanted them... Most new products fail because nobody knew if anyone actually wanted them before they built them. ▶ The Solution Let people pretend to buy things before they exist... Let people pretend to buy things before they exist. ▶ The Three Phases Ghost Shopping → Soft Pledge → Launch, with Forever Stamps for early backers... Phase 1: Ghost Shopping People browse and “add to cart” items that don’t exist yet. They spend Ghost Credits — fake money that costs nothing. This tells us: would people even click on this thing? ...

Want the formal proofs? See: Full Academic Paper ▶ The Problem in One Sentence Organizations either stay small and cohesive or grow big and become a mess... Organizations either stay small and cohesive or grow big and become a mess. There’s no middle ground. ▶ The Solution Cap it at 300 people. But make those 300 work like 3,000... Cap it at 300 people. But make those 300 work like 3,000. ▶ The Structure Six Domain Circles of 50 people each, with three commitment tiers... Six Domain Circles (50 people each) Circle What They Do Patrons Fund stuff, show up for events, VIP access Media Create content, manage channels, tell the story Academics Write papers, validate claims, academic cred Initiative Leaders Run projects, manage launches, make stuff happen Amplifiers Share content, recruit members, spread the word Infrastructure Build systems, maintain tech, keep lights on Three Commitment Tiers Tier Commitment What They Get Shields Show up occasionally Access, community, voting on some stuff Spears Regular participation More access, priority for opportunities Phalanx All in, core team Decision-making power, revenue share ▶ The Ask Matrix Like a dating app for project staffing—matching skills, availability, and commitment... When a project needs something, the Ask Matrix matches: ...

Want the formal proofs? See: Full Academic Paper ▶ The Problem in One Sentence Platforms extract maximum value, leaving nothing for newcomers... Platforms extract maximum value from every transaction, leaving nothing for newcomers or those who can’t pay full price. ▶ The Solution Build generosity into the math, not the marketing... Build generosity into the math, not the marketing. ▶ The Biblical Reference Book of Ruth, Chapter 2—Boaz tells his workers to leave grain in the corners... Book of Ruth, Chapter 2. Boaz tells his workers: leave grain in the corners of the field. Don’t harvest everything. Let people who can’t buy come and gather what’s left. ...

Want the formal proofs? See: Full Academic Paper ▶ The Problem in One Sentence Normal businesses make more money by cutting costs, which usually means cutting quality... Normal businesses make more money by cutting costs, which usually means cutting quality. ▶ The Solution Lock the margin so the only way to grow profit is to grow volume through quality... Lock the margin so the only way to grow profit is to grow volume, and the only way to grow volume is to increase quality. ▶ The Math (Don't Panic) Cost+20% locks the margin—there is no option to cut corners... Normal business: Profit = (Price - Cost) × Volume ...