The Ownership Crisis

Half-baked theory: In the future there will be 100 companies, 10,000 countries, and 10,000,000 co-ops.

Collective ownership can take a number of forms: unions, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), and stock options are all related. But the most important means of collective ownership will be the resurgence of an old model: the co-op.

Ampled is a Patreon-like subscription service for musicians structured as a co-op. As a co-op, Ampled is completely owned and controlled by the musicians who use it and the workers who built it. Ampled is initially funded through debt instruments that give investors zero equity and that cap financial returns at 3x their investment

The economy has been all about scale over the past fifty years. But we’re about to think about scale and ownership very differently. The next great organizations won’t be the ones with the shiniest bells and whistles. They’ll be the ones that share equitable ownership based on a wider set of values. Collective ownership is a next step towards a mor... See more

Ownership is inaccessible to most people. It’s either bought (through stocks/investments), created (starting something of your own), inherited (born lucky), or earned (employment-based equity). None of which are easy to attain. Few families have extra income to invest. Starting a business is harder than ever (entrepreneurship rates in the US are ha... See more

The four million people who drive for Uber probably own less of the company combined than a single dentist in New Jersey with Vanguard in their portfolio.