I think a lot of discussions around the utility of blockchains misses (or just ignores) a really subtle but important point: smart contract networks (like Ethereum) could be thought of like public utilities that are implemented via markets. And I think that perspective can unlock a lot of innovation.
If I want to launch a startup, I have to cover hosting costs, manage infrastructure (terraform, AWS/DigitalOcean, Docker, DNS, etc) and handle lots of other complexity that is incidental to what I'm actually trying to build. It really helps to have VC money to ease that pain - but VC money is a dangerous train to get on.
But if I can build my app using smart contracts, then they are always available to execute when needed - just pay to write/execute. I don't need to cover hosting costs or much infrastructure beyond some web interface (which I could just put on Netlify). That simplicity reduces the need for funding.
Any data or infrastructure that I put in place is - by default - still available if my startup fails, so users who put their content into the system can still get access to it even if I can't afford to pay the bills anymore.
And of course, other startups could immediately build on top of whatever I've created.
Honestly, using blockchains for money - while essential for some of this - is not the most interesting application.
If I want to launch a startup, I have to cover hosting costs, manage infrastructure (terraform, AWS/DigitalOcean, Docker, DNS, etc) and handle lots of other complexity that is incidental to what I'm actually trying to build. It really helps to have VC money to ease that pain - but VC money is a dangerous train to get on.
But if I can build my app using smart contracts, then they are always available to execute when needed - just pay to write/execute. I don't need to cover hosting costs or much infrastructure beyond some web interface (which I could just put on Netlify). That simplicity reduces the need for funding.
Any data or infrastructure that I put in place is - by default - still available if my startup fails, so users who put their content into the system can still get access to it even if I can't afford to pay the bills anymore.
And of course, other startups could immediately build on top of whatever I've created.
Honestly, using blockchains for money - while essential for some of this - is not the most interesting application.