"Digital" cooperatives using (optionally) open source platforms is an idea that should be much more explored imho.
The concept applies to so many verticals involving small companies or individual operators (from taxis, to hotels, to restaurants, to real estate agents, local bookstores, cinemas, to game developers etc. etc.)
The inability of large numbers of small entities to coordinate and cooperate in the digital era means they create the conditions for third parties to completely take over the intermediation with clients and use that leverage to extract unreasonably large rents.
In fact the extreme "taxes" small businesses and individuals have to pay to shrewd digital platform owners are multiples of the cost of development of the platforms themselves.
In other words, if a collection of independent entities cannot get they act together to codevelop digital infastructure (that will benefit all of them) somebody else will do it for them and will be eating their lunch.
This reclaiming of their market / ownership of digital tools might be challenging in conditions of rapid technical innovation. The autocracy of a top-down corporate structure is more effective than a democratic collective. Yet despite incessant marketing noise currently we are in a rather stagnating phase so there is a window of opportunity to reclaim some agency.
The concept applies to so many verticals involving small companies or individual operators (from taxis, to hotels, to restaurants, to real estate agents, local bookstores, cinemas, to game developers etc. etc.)
The inability of large numbers of small entities to coordinate and cooperate in the digital era means they create the conditions for third parties to completely take over the intermediation with clients and use that leverage to extract unreasonably large rents.
In fact the extreme "taxes" small businesses and individuals have to pay to shrewd digital platform owners are multiples of the cost of development of the platforms themselves.
In other words, if a collection of independent entities cannot get they act together to codevelop digital infastructure (that will benefit all of them) somebody else will do it for them and will be eating their lunch.
This reclaiming of their market / ownership of digital tools might be challenging in conditions of rapid technical innovation. The autocracy of a top-down corporate structure is more effective than a democratic collective. Yet despite incessant marketing noise currently we are in a rather stagnating phase so there is a window of opportunity to reclaim some agency.