Picture this: a writer, an editor, a graphic designer, each a solitary wanderer in this forest, their paths intertwining through the ether of the internet. Collaborative document editing becomes their shared canvas, Signal or other encrypted communication system their common ground. They are phantoms to each other, their presence known only by the traces left in the digital – a corrected typo, a graphic design, a fleeting message. Their meetings are not necessities but celebrations, rare gatherings not for coordination but for communion.
This evolution extends beyond mere convenience. It signals a shift in the very fabric of how we work and collaborate. The traditional overseer, the boss pacing corridors, ensuring punctuality and productivity, is now an anachronism, a relic of a bygone era. In this new world, coordination and transaction costs plummet, facilitated by the plethora of apps and the burgeoning sharing economy.
Yet, this transformation is not without its challenges. For tasks still anchored in the physical realm, the digital connection falters. The mechanic mending the tangible, the barista and the cook – their roles remain, for now, less susceptible to this digital transcendence.
Despite these limitations, the potential is immense. As physical barriers dissolve, the global market opens up, offering unparalleled access to talent and resources. The programmer in India, the designer in Europe, each brings their unique skills to this vast digital bazaar. In this world, being a solitary entity – a one-man company – is not a disadvantage but a strength, a testament to agility and adaptability.
But what of economies of scale, that age-old mantra of the business world? Yes, producing a million pots is cheaper per unit than crafting a singular masterpiece. But this efficiency comes at a cost – the need for vast infrastructure, capital, logistics. The narrative is further complicated by the state's preference for the large and established, often at the expense of the small and nimble. Big is fragile.
Digital presence allows for wider cooperation of peer-to-peer network of nodes in the dark forest rather than old-school hierarchical structures. And where will this lead? One interesting development is becoming Satoshi Nakamoto - an anonymous creator in a vast web of dark forest’s anonymous production networks.
