[Report] “Walking Backwards Into a More Cooperative Digital Future” by Jad Esber
Cite this Report:
Esber, Jad. 2023. Walking backwards into a more cooperative digital future. Institute for the Cooperative Economy. Platform.coop. New York City: Platform Cooperativism Consortium. https://ia904700.us.archive.org/8/items/jad-esber/
In his 2022/2023 ICDE Fellowship Report, Jad Esber explores the potential of web3 technology in establishing a more cooperative and decentralized internet. In this context, he shares his experiences with koodos, the tech company he launched.
Esber acknowledges that the cryptocurrency space has been largely driven by cash-oriented hype, but he firmly believes that the cooperative principles, which have supported co-ops for generations, could similarly support efforts towards creating a more equitable internet. In his report, Esber explores how to apply these principles to web3 projects and offers insights and guidance for fellow builders looking to keep cooperative principles in mind while scaling. Despite the ongoing uncertainties and significant capital influx into the web3 space, Esber maintains that the fundamentals of web3 could be a means of regaining shared control over our “distributed media database” and “meta archive,” provided we resist the temptation to prioritize short-termism.