Alternatives to VC, Digital Governance and Public AI with Josh Tan
Feb 9, 2025
auto_awesome
Josh Tan, founder of Metagov and lead of DAOstar, dives into the potential of digital governance and self-management. He discusses making democracy accessible in digital realms, presenting alternatives to venture capital through enhanced transparency in Web3 grants. The conversation also explores how AI and DAOs can foster community-focused governance, countering market monopolies. Tan advocates for collaboration in crypto to prioritize social good over profit, envisioning a future where blockchain transforms institutions and empowers collective action.
MediGov's commitment to public AI as a communal resource aims to democratize technology, challenging corporate hegemony in digital governance.
The focus on developing transparent standards for DAOs reflects an effort to enhance collaboration and accessibility within the grant ecosystem, promoting innovative governance solutions.
Deep dives
The Vision of MediGov and Public AI
MediGov is positioned as a nonprofit research lab dedicated to exploring digital governance, particularly self-governance among online communities. It aims to transition closed-source products to open-source, emphasizing funding from notable foundations for research initiatives. The concept of Public AI is introduced, advocating for AI to be available as a public good, similar to libraries or parks, which contrasts sharply with the current concentration of power in a few tech companies. This vision of democratizing AI infrastructure seeks to avoid a future dominated by corporate interests while promoting collaborative growth within tech communities.
Standards Development in the DAO Space
The organization's work in developing technical standards for decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) is highlighted as a critical area of their focus. DAOSTAR is mentioned as a leading project aimed at improving transparency and interoperability in the Web3 grants ecosystem, which aims to make grant-related data publicly accessible. Efforts are being made to establish a common application process across multiple grants, streamlining accessibility for projects outside the venture capital ecosystem. MediGov's initiatives reflect a desire to create a more collaborative and efficient grant system that could lead to better governance models across various sectors.
Collaborative Efforts and Governance Alternatives
MediGov emphasizes the need for collaboration within the crypto space, suggesting that shared standards and practices can enhance governance models. The organization reflects on historical precedents in internet governance, aiming to replicate successful models to prevent monopolistic trends. Through community-building efforts, MediGov seeks to unite diverse stakeholders with a shared objective of fostering democratic principles in technology development. This grassroots approach aims to counteract the trends of 'inshittification' seen in many online platforms by prioritizing the social benefit over profit.
Innovating New Institutional Designs
The discussion touches on the need for DAOs to evolve beyond traditional corporate structures, advocating for more democratic and cooperative organizational forms. The potential for these new institutions to produce innovative solutions for governance is framed as essential for societal progress. MediGov aims to explore these possibilities, striving to create vital underpinnings for democratic governance systems that leverage the advancements in AI and blockchain technology. This approach is rooted in a belief that the right governance structures can significantly enhance societal outcomes, democratizing the decision-making process across various domains.
While at Devcon 2024 I spoke to Josh Tan, the founder of Metagov, a laboratory for digital governance and lead of DAOstar, a DAO standards body (that I have also been doing some work with as well).
We spoke about making democracy just as available as autocracy in digital systems, making alternatives to venture capital, and AI as collective intelligence. We also spoke a bit about the DAOIP-5 web3 grants metadata standard that I've been helping DAOstar with.
If you want to listen to my review of Devcon 2024, check it out here.
If you liked the podcast be sure to give it a review on your preferred podcast platform. If you find content like this important consider donating to my Patreon starting at just $3 per month. It takes quite a lot of my time and resources so any amount helps. Follow me on Twitter (@TBSocialist) or Mastodon (@theblockchainsocialist@social.coop) and join the r/CryptoLeftists subreddit and Discord to join the discussion.
ICYMI I've written a book about, no surprise, blockchains through a left political framework! The title is Blockchain Radicals: How Capitalism Ruined Crypto and How to Fix Itand is being published through Repeater Books, the publishing house started by Mark Fisher who’s work influenced me a lot in my thinking.
The book is officially published and you use this linktree to find where you can purchase the book based on your region / country.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode