New Creative Era The economics of the Dark Forest
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Nov 26, 2025 Dive into the intriguing world of Dark Forest spaces and their self-supporting economies. Explore the technical mechanics that fuel these online-native proto-institutions. Discover the balance between shared membership roles and privacy concerns within communities. Unpack how crypto and community tokens play a vital role in governance and economics. The hosts debate the implications of rewarding early contributors while preventing speculation. Get ready for a lively discussion on the future of collaborative publishing and online institutions.
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Dark Forest Operating Stack
- Dark Forests combine membership lists, private chat, shared storage, and treasury into a single operating stack.
- Yancey argues this stack creates private online proto-institutions with distinct rules and capabilities.
Tiered Course Rollout Example
- Joshua recounts launching affordable courses for Do Not Research that had far more demand than expected.
- He describes a tiered rollout giving long-term contributors earlier, cheaper access and broader audiences later at higher prices.
Private Rooms Over Public Feeds
- Dark Forests resemble physical rooms more than open social feeds: curation of attendees shapes the experience.
- Yancey argues controlled membership and small-group etiquette produce coherent outcomes.
