Ask HN: Advice on an idea to democratize capitalism
I am taking as an example Richard Stallman's approach to democratizing software technology.
I believe that we need to level the playing field for each individual person. The only way I see this happening is to compete and win at the current game. Only then can I expect my approach to become a viable alternative.
I propose the formation of one non-profit organization whose mission is to create 12 open-source franchises to meet the needs of a small population. By creating a decentralized and fault-tolerant network of franchises we can allow anyone to participate in the economy with no backing but their own.
An open-source franchise is defined as:
A business which discloses all decisions, operating procedures, legal frameworks, pricing algorithms and any other relevant information related to its operation for the purposes of replication by the public.
The 12 franchises I am suggesting are as follows (FOSI stands for my Free and Open Source Idea):
1. FOSI-Mart: A retail company 2. FOSI-Fast: A logistics company 3. FOSI-Farm: An agricultural company 4. FOSI-Build: A construction company 5. FOSI-Water: A water purification company 6. FOSI-Processing: A food processing company 7. FOSI-Waste: A waste collection and recycling company 8. FOSI-Law: A law practice specializing in corporate laws and regulations 9. FOSI-Account: A book-keeping and accounting company 10. FOSI-Manufacturing: A manufacturing company 11. FOSI-Energy: An energy company 12. FOSI-Storage: A warehousing and storage company
The basic idea is to start the parent non-profit and begin by creating the first FOSI-Mart. At first existing infrastructure will be used, but over time FOSI-Mart will start to source supplies from the other eleven businesses as they are created. The non-profit will maintain one instance of each franchise and use the profits to continue research.