>100 subscribers

That’s the Web3 we’re living in now. Someday, everyone else will. We’re just living in the future earlier.

The Three Faces of Platform Power

Steven Lukes defined power in three layers. Here’s what I’m going to show you:

1. Visible power — who makes the decisions?

2. Agenda power — what’s allowed on the table?

3. Ideological power — what do you believe is possible?

Let’s walk through each.

1. Visible Power: Who Gets Paid?

YouTube decides the rev share. TikTok decides the algorithm. X and Instagram decide if your link gets suppressed.

You see the battle. You play the game. Sometimes you even win. But you’re still playing their game.

2. Agenda Power: What Can You Even Talk About?

Try discussing alternate monetization models on a Web2 platform.

Try sharing an external link on X or IG that helps you sell your art.

Try building your distribution outside their network.

The platform sets the rules and the terms of the debate. That’s the second face.

3. Ideological Power: What Do You Believe Is Normal?

Creators start to believe virality = value.

That monetization is a bonus, not a right.

That “reach” is the reward, even when it pays nothing.

They internalize the platform’s values.

They hustle for distribution they don’t own.

They don’t question the structure.

That’s when power is at its most effective—when it doesn’t look like power at all.

Web3 Is a Rebellion Against All Three

Now that you’ve seen how the three faces work, here’s the flip side: Web3 lets creators reclaim leverage at every layer.

1. Visible Power: Programmable Monetization

• You mint a photo, a post, a project.

• You earn directly from collectors, fans, and your communities.

• You don’t wait for payouts. You define the terms.

2. Agenda Power: Composability Over Control

• Want subscriptions to your written content? Use Paragraph.

• Want to launch a mini-app? You can do that, no permission required.

• Want your own tipping token? Launch one.

You don’t need approval. You need imagination.

3. Ideological Power: Your Creativity Has Value

• Not just as content, but as an economic signal.

• Not just for attention, but for ownership.

• Not just for others, but for you.

Web3 changes what you believe is possible.

And that might be the most powerful shift of all.

The Fourth Dimension: Memory

Web2 content disappears in a scroll.

Web3 content is minted. Immutable. Archived. Resurfaced.

It becomes part of a cultural ledger, not just a feed.

You’re not just creating. You’re timestamping.

The Rebellion Has Already Begun

Here’s what I told you at the start: platforms underpay you and train you to be grateful. Lukes helps us see why—because they control decisions, they control the agenda, and they even control your beliefs. That’s the trap.

And here’s what I’ve shown you: Web3 breaks each face of that power. It flips visible power with programmable monetization. It flips agenda power with composability. It flips ideological power with a simple truth: your creativity and your attention both have value. And it adds a fourth: memory—your work preserved, owned, and surfaced forever.

So here’s what I’ll leave you with:

Distribution isn’t a favor. It’s a foundation.

Ownership isn’t an afterthought. It’s the point.

And power isn’t hidden anymore—it’s yours to claim.

Platforms trained you to feel lucky.

Web3 reminds you to feel powerful.

You were never asking for too much.

You were just asking the wrong people.

Now it’s clear: distribution is the battlefield, ownership is the prize, and Web3 is the path forward. The question isn’t if creators will reclaim power—it’s when.

Create boldly. Collect freely. Own everything.

The Hidden Power Behind Platforms — and the On-Chain Rebellion That’s Coming.

Share Dialog