What do you really own digitally? You might think: I use Gmail or Outlook to send my mails. Google now uses your data to train AIs. Spotify? It's not your music, you just pay to stream. Your Instagram account? Gone in a second. None of these apps are your own infrastructure.
Amazon just ships the items. Spotify delivers your music. Uber doesn’t own any cars. DoorDash brings you food, but doesn’t run any restaurants. You’re just receiving, without sending anything back. It’s all made for convenience to get the highest margins for the companies behind it. You’re just taking from the shelves.
Big Tech is really good at this. 'Sign in with Google' or Apple Pay makes it effortless to use their ecosystem. But the real value for them is your data and network effects. They control the algorithms, your feed, and what you see. This is the opposite of independence you’re under somebody else’s influence all the time.
Maximum screen time means you see four more ads and, maybe, buy shoes you really don’t need considering you already have five pairs, three unworn. They realized: taking away ownership and safeguarding platforms makes them more money.
Sony will stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation releases. This isn’t just distribution, they add expiration dates and other limits to your account. Same goes for Amazon and digital movies or music.
Let’s strip this back further. The European Central Bank wants to introduce a digital currency. Yes, there are positive aspects but downsides too: expiration dates, forced spending, instant account freezing. They are the middlemen. You’re at the bottom of the circle.
Bitcoin for example solves this fiat currency problem. It’s permissionless, powered by energy and hard to rewrite. Nobody’s perfect, and you don’t have to be off-grid to own your data and infrastructure.
You’d rather use your own car than always ask a friend for rides. You don’t need the feed.
be the garden