PPPPause for the Implausible (Four Ps #216)
Worldcoin, World Creators, World Connectors... or Just the End of the World?
The frenzied pace of constant change is staggering.
The sheer volume of content being created and consumed is overwhelming.
And whether or not what I’m about to share helps simplify, or just adds to the noise…? You’ll just have to be the judge.
But either way, impressively inconceivable tech platforms, systems, and models for global communication, finance, communication, and social engagement are popping up faster than we can comprehend.
And yet, we can’t seem to agree on how to tackle the deteriorating conditions of our planet? Where are our priorities?
Something Practical: All The World's a Coin
The convergence of AI and blockchain now has a face and a name. That name?
As the topics of artificial intelligence and digital identity management become increasingly relevant and prevalent, proving that you are who you say you are, or that content you've created is original, will become increasingly challenging. Throw in income inequality... and that's what Worldcoin hopes to solve.
A groundbreaking new project that just went public last week, Worldcoin's mission is to create a globally-inclusive identity and financial network owned by the majority of humanity. It sounds like something Elon Musk wants to do with X, minus the intense, personal hatred people feel for Elon Musk. "Worldcoin" also sounds like something that George Costanza's "Human Fund" might have created, this "part-cryptocurrency, part personal ID verification solution" was created, in part, by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
It's a pretty ambitious endeavor... one that could lead to numerous positive outcomes, including increased economic opportunity, a reliable solution for distinguishing humans from AI online while preserving privacy, enabling global democratic processes, and even potentially paving the way for AI-funded Universal Basic Income (UBI). The core idea behind Worldcoin is "proof of personhood," which is seeking to establish a person's unique humanness without revealing their real-world identity. They're addressing the unsolved problem of verifying human identity on a global scale, which is crucial for activities like online voting and fair distribution of resources, though it is already under some degree of scrutiny.
"We aim to create universal access to the global economy regardless of country or background, accelerating the transition to an economic future that welcomes and benefits every person on the planet," they said in the launch announcement."
Worldcoin comprises two key components: World ID, a privacy-preserving digital identity network based on custom biometric hardware called the Orb, and a digital currency called WLD. Every human is eligible to receive WLD, which is issued to grow the Worldcoin network, much like Bitcoin secures the Bitcoin network. World ID allows individuals to verify their humanness online without compromising their privacy through zero-knowledge proofs. We've heard about soulbound tokens, and this wants to be "personbound, ensuring credentials are difficult to misuse or steal. And while not available yet in the U.S. (Hello, regulatory!), a Worldcoin Token (WLD) will be issued to all network participants to align incentives around network growth and distribution.
The challenge with the adoption of new technologies like this (and others) harkens to what Andrew Chen wrote about a few years ago with "The Cold Start Problem" by creating a widely distributed digital asset. Potential applications of Worldcoin include revolutionizing finance and identity by enabling instant, borderless, and universally accessible financial transactions.
It also seeks to combat bots and spam in the digital realm and provide an inclusive solution for global democratic governance. Furthermore, by employing proof of personhood, Worldcoin could facilitate the fair distribution of limited resources, subsidies, and social welfare, contributing to more equitable societies globally.
Accessibility is an interesting topic. Because you need to be verified by a scanning device called an Orb in real life, that sounds like a huge issue with scale. Yet one of the first locations to get an Orb happens to be within my own co-working space, so I signed up and was very quickly verified. It was quite simple, using the calendly link on their app to make an appointment (in an office 3 down from ours). A community liaison who we’ll call Nick (because that’s his actual name) showed me the Orb, even let me touch it and walked me through the process, and showed how the verification process is tied to your iris. "Even fingerprints are not 100% unique... 1 in 40 million people can have the same fingerprint markings now," Nick explained, (which is definitely a defense I will use if ever accused of committing a crime).
They do have plans to make verification and onboarding easier, including more locations and a process called "network validation," whereby if 20 people vouch for you, you're good. But yes, it's still WAAAAY too early to tell if this is going to be a real thing or not. I haven't logged onto the app since getting verified because there are no relevant use cases for me yet. But Worldcoin's vision of an inclusive and privacy-preserving network holds the potential to transform how individuals interact and participate in the digital economy, unlocking new opportunities and benefits for people worldwide.
Something Professional: The End of Twitter's World
Twitter was such an important part of my personal and professional persona. I helped clients determine and execute Twitter marketing strategies. I posted, myself, over 45,000 times in 15 years. And now... it's over.
Last week, the company formerly known as Twitter re-branded itself as "X," to much criticism and consternation. It may survive... it may not. But where it's headed is someplace dark. And the way Elon Musk has gone about his communication, the treatment of employees, and the provocative and insulting posts all seem to diminish the likelihood of ever recreating Twitter's mainstream pop culture success. Now, I must admit, the notion of creating an all-encompassing app, an "everything app," isn't entirely flawed, especially given its allure to visionaries like Musk, Altman, and Zuckerberg, who must have been eyeing the massive footprint of WeChat in China.
So why not make a compelling case for what the 'X' app is meant to be? Why not gradually evolve the Twitter branding and positioning over time, considering consumer use and reactions? Why not put to rest any doubts about the existence of a sound strategy by actually presenting one? Instead, making such a drastic change overnight by destroying a brand with value (and doing so without what appears to be a concrete plan on how to get there or how to accommodate the myriad of other ventures under that new brand architecture), appears to be a rather dubious path to success.
Numerous voices brighter than mine have already chimed in on the matter. They've pointed out the erosion of brand equity, squandering the status of a brand that's transcended into a cultural verb, and the impact on the sense of community both internally and externally. But let's not forget to add to that the conspicuous absence of a well-defined strategy to evolve the brand.
Brands do change, of course. HBO just rebranded as Max and faced similar concerns. But usually, these changes are intentional and for far more compelling reasons. Adapting to cultural shifts, aligning with an evolving value proposition, or responding to potential threats—all of these factors push brands into new directions. Nevertheless, successful brands evolve coherently, with a clear direction in mind. They respond, not react, taking along their equity and advantages, which have defined them so far. The most critical aspect lies in perceiving the world as their customers and consumers do, and accordingly, devising a plan. It's not about shaping the world the way they want it to be; it's about acknowledging reality.
I no longer work with any brands that are actively engaging on Twitter. TikTok and Instagram have long since become the primary platforms of branded social engagement. And for commerce and conversion purposes. TikTok Shop could bring all of this together in an entirely new way. For the past few years, social channels like Instagram and TikTok have experimented with commerce features to reduce the path for consumer shopping experiences. Some have worked. Others have not. But direct, in-channel conversion is coming, so even if you were experimenting before and were less than satisfied with the experience, there's no doubt that this is where we're headed. Elon may know this, which is what X is turning towards. The question is... will it survive the self-inflicted wounds long enough to be positioned to capitalize?
Something Personal: The World They Inherit
I've talked a lot here in this personal space about the role that technology and digital engagement have played in my children's (ages 12 and 9) development. And while the positives and negatives have likely evened out over time, there's no turning back. A profound transformation awaits Gen Alpha, and it’s happening faster than you may realize. The expansion of metaverse technology and ecosystems is already changing how they engage online AND offline.
While the term "metaverse" can mean different things to different people, I like the way that the team at Journee addresses this in their ebook/white paper released last week. Transcending a single virtual platform, virtual worlds, or even a network of immersive experiences, it now is coming to mean "the future of the internet." Of 450 global leaders surveyed, 95% believe metaverse experiences will have a positive impact on their industry.
Which means it will have a massive social and financial impact. My daughter has now been without a device in her hand for 6 weeks while at camp, but my older son, who has stayed home to participate in golf camps, adventure experiences, and coding clinics, has been navigating his way between several different metaverse activations this summer. And he's both spending and making money in these worlds with no oversight whatsoever. The next phase of evolution will definitively be commerce-based and consumer-centric. Micro-transactions are just the beginning, and content creators with both influence and e-commerce expertise will lead this growth.
You may not see it or believe it yet, but our kids do. We are building for them. No longer confined to a realm of escapism, this virtual domain is already intricately entwined with their lived reality. As guardians of these young minds, we are entrusted with the weighty responsibility of preparing for this unprecedented reality. Strategically guiding their path toward success in a world where the boundaries between the physical and digital begin to blur. Our approach must be astute and open-minded, our foresight keen and prepared… for the metamorphosis is imminent, and our children's future depends on the groundwork we lay today. You don't have to embrace it (yet), but certainly don't ignore it.
Something Political: The World Is Coming to an End
Not to sound overly dramatic with that headline, but the most recent examples of extreme climate certainly make that statement feel more real.
July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded by humans on planet Earth. And U.N. Secretary-General, António Guterres, knows it... He issued a dire warning, stating that the "era of global warming has ended" and the world has now entered an "era of global boiling." The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the EU’s Copernicus Earth observation program reported that global temperatures have shattered records this month, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, leading to extreme weather events.
Guterres emphasized that climate change is no longer a distant future concern; it is already here and must be taken seriously. He urged immediate and dramatic climate action to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Leaders were called upon to act decisively, as the consequences of inaction have become unbearable for much of the world.
The situation demands urgent attention. And not just talk, but action through leadership. The focus should be on providing clear guidance for more realistic and sustainable lifestyle decisions, considering various aspects of "green living.
We already know what we have to do: Moving away from reliance on fossil fuels towards a sustainable, low-carbon future is key. The upcoming Cop28 summit in the United Arab Emirates will be crucial for agreeing on measures to mitigate global heating and adapt to extreme weather while addressing the damages caused by climate change.
The challenge is that we can’t all seem to agree, and there is no unifying, coordinated effort to get organized. Of all the things to be politicized, this just can't be one of them. Sure, there are harder choices when it comes to “going green” than we may realize. But we need to align on a Mission, Objectives, Strategies and THEN the Tactics. You can skip to Tactics first.
What Planet Earth really needs is an agency with a framework for success. And it starts with the brief.
The client: Planet Earth
The objective: Save us, before we become uninhabitable.
The challenge: We have a gap between perception and reality with respect to human-accelerated climate change.
Truth: We must prevent global temperature from rising another 1.5°C
Insights: Governments, businesses and individuals are not incentivized to change, mired in short-term thinking and vision. Instant gratification > Delayed destruction.
Strategy: Gamify behavioral change with incentives and challenges around switching to renewable and clean energy sources.
Bonus P: Something Pandering
Have you heard the latest Snarketing Podcast with El Pollo Loco's Gabe Alonso? I'm pretty proud of it. Give it a listen!
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