Why isn't Twitter doing more to get bots off their platform? Why isn’t Uber taking better care of its drivers?
What if...they can't?
Venture-capital backed companies like Twitter and Uber are held accountable to maximizing returns to investors. If and when they become public companies, they become accountable to maximizing returns to shareholders. They’ve promised Wall Street outsized returns — which means Twitter can't lose bots if it would significantly lower their user count and in turn lower advertising revenue, and Uber can’t treat their drivers like employees if it competes with profits.
But what's the alternative? What might it look like to design an ownership and governance model that incentivizes a technology company to serve all of its stakeholders over the long term – and primarily, the stakeholders who create value?
This week on Your Undivided Attention, we're talking with two experts on creating the conditions for humane business, and in turn, for humane technology: Mara Zepeda and Kate “Sassy” Sassoon of Zebras Unite Co-Op. Zebras Unite is a member-owned co-operative that’s creating the capital, culture, and community to power a more just and inclusive economy. The Zebras Unite Coop serves a community of over 6,000 members, in about 30 chapters, over 6 continents. Mara is their Managing Director, and Kate is their Director of Cooperative Membership.
Two corrections:
RECOMMENDED MEDIA
Zebras Fix What Unicorns Break
A seminal 2017 article by Zebras Unite co-founders, which kicked off the movement and distinguished between zebras and unicorns — per the table below.
Meetup to the People
Zebras Unite’s 2019 thought experiment of exiting Meetup to community
Zebras Unite Crowdcast Channel
Where you can find upcoming online events, as well as recordings of previous events.
RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES
A Renegade Solution to Extractive Economics with Kate Raworth: https://www.humanetech.com/podcast/29-a-renegade-solution-to-extractive-economics
Bonus — A Bigger Picture on Elon & Twitter: https://www.humanetech.com/podcast/bigger-picture-elon-twitter
Here’s Our Plan And We Don’t Know with Tristan Harris, Aza Raskin, and Stephanie Lepp: https://www.humanetech.com/podcast/46-heres-our-plan-and-we-dont-know
Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_
A Fresh Take on Tech in China — with Rui Ma and Duncan Clark
Behind the Curtain on The Social Dilemma — with Jeff Orlowski-Yang and Larissa Rhodes
A Conversation with Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen
Spotlight — A Whirlwind Week of Whistleblowing
Making Meaning in Challenging Times — with Jamie Wheal
Spotlight — The Facebook Files with Tristan Harris, Frank Luntz, and Daniel Schmachtenberger
The Power of Solutions Journalism — with Tina Rosenberg and Hélène Biandudi Hofer
Do You Want to Become a Vampire? — with L.A. Paul
You Will Never Breathe the Same Again — with James Nestor
A Facebook Whistleblower — with Sophie Zhang
A Problem Well-Stated is Half-Solved — with Daniel Schmachtenberger
[Unedited] A Problem Well-Stated is Half-Solved — with Daniel Schmachtenberger
Mr. Harris Zooms to Washington
Can Your Reality Turn on a Word? — with Anthony Jacquin
The Stubborn Optimist's Guide Revisited — with Christiana Figueres (Rerun)
Mind the (Perception) Gap — with Dan Vallone
Spotlight — Coded Bias
Come Together Right Now — with Shamil Idriss
Disinformation Then and Now — with Camille François
The Courage to Connect — with Ciaran O’Connor and John Wood, Jr.
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Insight Story: Tech Trends Unpacked
Zero-Shot
Fast Forward by Tomorrow Unlocked: Tech past, tech future
The Unbelivable Truth - Series 1 - 26 including specials and pilot
Lex Fridman Podcast