In this article , We will explore the concept of freedom in the context of society and individual rebellion as well as its effects on product development via ethical design. The quote by Albert Camus, "The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion," has been a topic of much debate in the field of philosophy. While this quote suggests that true freedom can only be achieved by an individual breaking free from societal constraints, the counterpoint made by Voltaire that it is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere adds complexity to this notion. However, the idea that the public must be either chained or fled from, as noted by Voltaire, highlights the importance of cultivating freedom amongst society as the utmost virtue. This article will argue that true freedom can only be achieved through collective efforts and by ensuring that creators share the collective value of freedom.

Freedom and Rebellion:

Albert Camus' quote suggests that true freedom can only be achieved through rebellion against societal constraints. This idea implies that individuals must break free from the societal norms that limit their actions and thoughts. However, Voltaire's counterpoint that it is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere adds a layer of complexity to this notion. The quote implies that some individuals might be so entrenched in their beliefs that they are unable to see beyond them. This can lead to them attempting to shackle those who seek true freedom, which creates a paradox as the freedom seeker can be limited by those who are themselves unfree.

Chaining the Public:

Voltaire's quote, "The public is a ferocious beast; one must either chain it or flee from it," suggests that the public must be controlled or avoided. However, in modern-day society, this is not a viable option. Therefore, the only solution is to chain the public in turn with freedom spread and cultivated amongst society as the utmost virtue. True freedom cannot be achieved as an individual; rather, it can only be achieved as a collective. This is because societal norms and values must be transformed to create a culture that values freedom.

The Role of Art:

Art is an expression of values and ideas. In modern society, protocols and software are forms of art that are shaping our lives in unprecedented ways. This period can be considered a renaissance of sorts. However, if we allow this art to govern us without considering the ethics involved, we risk creating a society that is limited in its freedoms. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that creators share the collective value of freedom to ensure that the art they create does not limit our freedoms.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the concept of freedom in the context of society and individual rebellion is complex. While Albert Camus suggests that true freedom can only be achieved through individual rebellion, Voltaire's counterpoint that it is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere adds complexity to this notion. However, the idea that the public must be either chained or fled from, as noted by Voltaire, highlights the importance of cultivating freedom amongst society as the utmost virtue. True freedom can only be achieved through collective efforts, and this requires ensuring that creators and consumers share the collective value of freedom.

As such if you extrapolate this as a design discipline it becomes evident why sovereign centric software such as crypto wallets, privacy coins, VPNs etc, has failed to receive sufficient attention, despite the widespread deployment of surveillance and censorship, that is because technologists have wrongly assumed that a technically sound sovereign centric software will translate to successful market adoption. I likens this flawed mindset to Voltaire's quote, "It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce." This quote suggests that in design disciplines, brute force technical innovation alone cannot win a market; instead, one must first make people value the fundamental principles that the invention seeks to protect, and then make it appealing and accessible to both back-end and end-users through UI design.

From a philosophical standpoint, this argument highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between technical innovation, market adoption, and value creation. This suggests that the failure of sovereign centric software to gain traction in the market can be attributed to a disconnect between the technical capabilities of these solutions and the values and needs of the end-users. This disconnect underscores the importance of integrating user-centered design principles into the development process of privacy solutions. Moreover, this implies that there is a need to shift the focus from purely technical innovation to creating solutions that can seduce and attract end-users through user-friendly interfaces, seamless accessibility, and intuitive design.

This is also the concept of ethical design. Ethical design refers to the practice of designing products and services that align with fundamental ethical principles such as privacy, autonomy, and justice. We argue that for sovereign centric software to succeed in the market, they must not only be technically sound but also align with ethical principles and values that end-users hold dear. This implies that there is a need for a fundamental shift in the way we approach design, from focusing solely on technical innovation to adopting a more ethical and human-centered approach that prioritizes the values and needs of the end-users.

this argument underscores the need for a more holistic and human-centered approach to design, one that integrates technical innovation with ethical principles and values that end-users value.

Traditionally fundraising for companies and startups involved putting together a pitch deck for the executives of a fund or Angel Investors. If it met the qualifications of the prospective stakeholders, they would offer Equity-Based investing, which is the process of investing money in exchange for a percentage of ownership in a company which allows the founder of the startup to access funds for company expansion and growth meanwhile the investor gets security and control over the business to some degree to provide oversight and direction.

Drawbacks of Equity Raising Investor POV

The consequences of equity raising lie in a few different areas for investors, such as high minimum investment thresholds often being in the few to a couple hundred million range on average, creating substantial risk for loss of investment. There is also the risk of being illiquid as these investors and funds have their money tied up for a set period which can quickly lead to a prisoner dynamic if the company fails to deliver. Management duties also tie up investors as they are not only investors but owners of the company; therefore, they are expected to oversee the company's expansion via identifying their target audience and general operations if they acquire enough stake, as well as managing internal management, which is time intensive.

Drawbacks of Equity Raising Founder POV

There are also consequences of equity raising for founders as well such as pitching your idea to multiple firms for months and or years if the vision is not entirely grasped by prospective investors or due to the founder's inability to compose a sound business plan; therefore, large amounts of time are wasted. Another hindrance of equity raising for founders is the equity portion itself, as a founder may end up giving a bigger stake in their company than they want to as a means to secure funding; if prospective investors perceive your business as risky, they might want higher stake with a disproportionate amount of money invested, but even then this does not guarantee that you will not need to seek out more funding eventually which also leads to more equity giveaway furthermore if the market climate changes such as a downturn risk appetite will be reduced. Many investors will avoid your startup together as they will be taking a higher asymmetric risk due to stepping in on later rounds.

Alternative Types Of Fundraising

Business Loans: Business loans are fairly straightforward, just as any other type of loan; you are approved for a set amount based on creditworthiness in exchange for repayment of the loan in a fixed timeframe occupied by an interest rate.

Accelerators: Accelerators should be thought of as a launchpad for startups that are past the idea stage as they usually have prototypes or are in pre-production but need help with other aspects of the business, such as production funding and management; here, they receive mentorship and build connections in their industry with investors in exchange for equity although it should be noted that these programs are usually short-lived lasting about three months in duration.

Web 2.0 Disruption

Equity raising was disrupted in the Web 2.0 era with the rise of crowdfunding platforms, namely Kickstarter and Republic, which allowed the general public to back potential startups that they otherwise would not be able to due to not being accredited investors; these platforms, however, have their problems respectively Kickstarter, for example, has known transparency, due diligence, and investor protection issues.

have been many projects on the platform that have misled investors, such as the infamous Holus project, which claimed to be an interactive holographic tabletop that could render any 2D image into a 3D holographic these claims turned out to be false; however, as the team behind the project were exposed for just using pieces of glass to reflect the 2D images for the investors of this project this betrayal of trust was horrifying as per Kickstarter's policy they do not have the authority to issue refunds nor do they verify the claims made by startups on their platforms they do however still make a commission as serving as the intermediary between the backers and creators so although investors were left high and dry and never seen a fully realized product or their funds returned Kickstarter themselves made a profit off the ruse.

Republic is another popular crowdfunding platform that holds 19% of the global market share of crowdfunding; unlike Kickstarter, it has more of an emphasis on actual startups and, to some degree, does proper due diligence on the projects that inhabit its platform; it still falls short of the ideal as even though they market themselves as a democratized investment platform, the reality is investors are still restrained as you can only invest up to 5% of your annual income or net worth in Regulation A securities if it is less than $124,000 which for most of the user base is the majority of the bracket they fall into thus there's a maximum cap for your investments and hypothetical returns in the process.

Web 3.0 Disruption

So how will Web 3.0 disrupt equity raising? By utilizing Investment Daos, as they are set to reach 1 trillion AUM (assets under management) by 2032, according to Imran Khan (CoFounder of Volt Capital). The crowdfunding industry is set to reach 200 billion by 2025, respectively, and the intersection of these industries will see massive growth. As they solve the problems non-accredited equity investors face in Web 2.0, such as the lack of transparency relating to funds with the platform they are interacting with, as truth is tokenized on-chain with the use of smart contracts leading to a restoration in investor confidence.

Another problem that is solved is the core issue of non-accreditation itself, as since investors are free from federal identification standards, it further lowers the capital limit. It expands potential investment opportunities for wealth creation. Investment Daos can also solve the locked liquidity problem equity investors face in early rounds with the introduction of ERC standards such as ERC-3525 which allows a token to have fungible quantitative properties as well as descriptive attributes; this allows the emergence of an on-chain OTC market which also bolsters transparency.

Last but not least, the organization's governance structure allows for dynamic governance and explosive capital deployment due to the lack of intermediaries slowing down crucial processes such as payment settlement and market participant misalignment. Information asymmetry is large among participants as well, allowing potential investments to be examined by a multitude of members, therefore, leveraging the knowledge base of multiple industries, which gives insight into how prospective investments are disruptive. The asymmetrical design of how information is spread and retained at various levels of the organization allows for better internal communication, thus allowing for better capital and labor alignment. Eventually evolving to the conception of internal incubated token raises.

The latest craze surrounding NFTs, with people paying astronomical prices for seemingly mundane objects like a static JPEG, has left many wondering whether this trend is based on organic and sustainable growth or is simply another example of tulip mania. As someone who has pondered this question myself, I believe that while the NFT industry is still in its infancy and will inevitably experience a crash at some point, similar to what occurred with DEFI in 2020 and ICOs in 2017, it will ultimately rise again like a phoenix from the ashes. The driving force behind this resurgence lies in identity building, and as such, NFTs are likely to remain a significant player in the digital world for some time to come.

Identity

Your identity is how you view yourself in the world relative to others accompanying the environment, such as your interests, disinterests and where you as an individual fits into the world. This aspect of self is always protean and distinctive which is a contradiction from the Latin origin of the word “idem” meaning same.

Expression of Identity

You constantly express your identity through the selection of words you use in conversations as they reveal your inner most thoughts of a subject matter via negative,positive or neutral connotation. For example an individual who constantly uses words with negative connotation may be pessimistic or someone who chooses positive connotative words may be an optimist, whereas an individual who uses neutral connotation may not have a fixed world view or views it objectively. The simplest and most noticeable way we express ourselves is through the clothing we wear as they may reveal our confidence level (showing skin or not) or perhaps the colors we like.

Expression of Identity in Human History/Biology

Hannah Arendt was a political philosopher born in 20th century Germany and lived through the events of the Holocaust. She argued that the reasons the Nazis were able to commit such atrocities against their follow man and not have anyone stand against them was because of the primal human need to conform, as humans beings are herd animals our survival depends on belonging to a specific group thus instinctively we are discouraged from outing ourselves out of the group and instead aligning our behavior with the others around us as studies have even shown that social disapproval triggers the amygdala (fear center) in the brain.

FOMO

The term FOMO came into usage around 2003 with the rise of social media. Whereas once people were limited to our immediate in-person network, the rise of social media at the turn of the millennium opened us to real-time access to events going on in the entire world, and the phenomenon of Fear Of Missing Out, or FOMO, was coined. Recent studies estimate that around 72% of adults in developed countries suffer from the “sometimes all-consuming feeling” that something important is happening and they are not a part of it. FOMO is defined by Wikipedia as a fear of regret of missing an opportunity for a social interaction, memorable experience, or profitable investment. The Amygdala and Limbic system play an important part in FOMO, as deeper brain structures important to survival trigger our fear, which is a prime motivator of behavior, as survival of the individual depends on social inclusion in a group. LORETA EEG brain mapping shows that areas of the brain associated with social inclusion light up during a situation designed to simulate FOMO. The human brain has evolved to track inclusion in a group and social status, which ensures our future survival, and these deep unconscious structures are triggered when we feel that something important is going on and we are left out, becoming lower-status. Thus, when we see crypto twitter full of avatars from Cyber Punks, Bored Ape Yacht Club, Penguins, and the like, we tend to think that we are missing out, and rush to catch up to what the in crowd is doing, signaling that we are part of the crypto elite. Now that high profile athletes are entering the crypto sphere, with all-world great NBA Stephen Curry becoming a member of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, and NFL GOAT Tom Brady shilling for FTX exchange, crypto is becoming mainstream, and this Fall FOMO into crypto may reach mainstreet USA.

Introducing NFTs

So where do NFTs fit into this narrative? with more of our time being spent online in a sort of virtual community with an infinite amount of people, identity expression online is emphasized to a much greater degree than ever, as well as FOMO as our primal instincts and desires crave to find subgroups that share our interests , as finding subgroups that resonate with us is crucial for a healthy state of mind. Because with failure to do so results in it becoming harder to find where we belong and thus as a result will lead to loneliness , depression, or even in some cases being forced to be apart of a group that is a danger to others such as the holocaust example, or a complete contradiction to ourself which may result in identity conflict and cause stress. So that being said why would it be any different online and this is when NFTs enter the picture as they allow people to express their identity online through the use of digital images such as Crypto Punks as well as an added monetary aspect which bolsters the ownership economy so it is no question as to why people are spending thousands and even millions of dollars to express themselves online even if it may be a financial detriment to them as self expression is priceless and the primal instincts to belong are untamable.