Thread by @BlackForestBoi

In tech there's a lot of buzz around decentralisation and privacy.

I think both are the wrong product values to OPTIMISE for, even though we're building decentralised & privacy respecting products with @worldbrain

Instead: It's interoperability/openness. [THREAD]

Don't get me wrong. Both decentralisation and privacy are important values. But building products with such a prime focus will hinder market adoption and thus the potential impact of your products. Just think about one blockchain product you ACTUALLY use in your daily life? 2/10

Problem: The frictions of using decentralised and privacy focused products. You're fucked when you lose your encryption keys or device. Decentralisation has privacy challenges too. People want convenience and security. They want someone responsible for their data being safe. 3/10

Taking a step back: What do we actually want from decentralisation and privacy?

We want that our data isn't exploited and to not experience lock-ins that make it hard to leave. Some want more privacy. We all want more control over the use of our data and that it's safe. 4/10

By focusing on interoperability, privacy and decentralisation will emerge where they have the most utility for people. With this approach you can have both. Decentralisation & centralisation. Privacy & external access of data. 5/10

This is because interoperability creates free market dynamics where users can migrate to more ethical, decentralised or privacy focused services as they see fit for their particular use case. No need to obey to the roadmap of a single provider. 6/10

With interoperability people can migrate to other services without losing their social connection. Example - Email: You can easily move your data to providers that suit your needs (for privacy) better. You can connect to anyone no matter which app or provider they use. 7/10

Your social network is selling data to Cambridge Analytica or has a shitty privacy policy - cut them off without cutting off your friends.

Your provider is not the best tool anymore or you want more encryption - move to another one without losing your data. 8/10

A product I think will significantly increase adoption of decentralised tech is @textileio. It has a hybrid model where app providers are still centrally responsible for cloud storage space. Under the hood it uses @IPFSbot (interoperable/decentralised) & no-one knows. 9/10

The lesson here: Build a product that works and don't be purist. Start centralised but make code modular & data interoperable. Decentralisation and privacy will emerge.

@vince_d_boer is deploying these ideas for a flexible infrastructure at @worldbrain.
medium.com/@WorldBrain/st…