Operation 2030 (Published)
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Abner Coimbre
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content/english/operation2030/directives/_index.md
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content/english/operation2030/directives/_index.md
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title="Key Objectives"
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date="2024-08-09T09:00:00-04:00"
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enddate="2024-08-10T18:00:00-04:00"
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content/english/operation2030/directives/meatspace.md
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content/english/operation2030/directives/meatspace.md
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title="Return to Meatspace"
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mediatype="key"
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conference="seattle-2022"
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date="2022-11-16T12:00:00-08:00"
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description="Abandon FOMO"
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thumbnail=""
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[[videos]]
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title="Memory Strategies"
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embed="https://player.vimeo.com/video/774890907"
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service="vimeo"
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download_link="https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/774890907/rendition/720p/file.mp4?loc=external&oauth2_token_id=1777364455&signature=3c443137144bf46966f5607ab00f818dfa5f98e1ac7643e62160f55e0bb27792"
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[[speakers]]
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name="Abner Coimbre"
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bio=""
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image=""
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[Prev](/operation2030/directives/small-software-shops) | [Contents](/operation2030) | [Next](/operation2030/directives/self-hosting-for-all)
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By 2030, Handmade Cities wants it to be significantly more appealing for programmers to spend time offline, drinking in the real world, rather than being glued to the Internet. When we are online, it should be intentional, free from FOMO or addiction. To make this happen we’ll focus on growing local meetups while also taking the following steps:
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- **Printed Magazines**: Physical bookstores are making a comeback, especially as Gen-Z seeks relief from doom scrolling. Even tech magazines are regaining traction. Starting January 2026, Handmade Cities is publishing quarterly magazines featuring news and articles written by highly-regarded community members. If you’re a technical writer, please reach out at magazine@handmadecities.com.
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- **No Social Media**: Specifically, Handmade Cities doesn’t use platforms like Twitter/X, Bluesky, or Mastodon at all. We’ve proven we're profitable through our website and newsletter. Our goal is to encourage devs to build their own newsletters to market their work. Most social media sharing Twitter's DNA are addictive finicky platforms to make a healthy living from. Reducing or eliminating our dependence on them is the wisest choice.
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- **Healthy Outreach**: Platforms like Twitch and YouTube, where real people are visible, are more stable options for occasionally promoting your work online. Hacker News and Lobsters are generally also fine. However, these shouldn’t become a *crutch* for making income.
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- **The Return of Mailing Lists**: Mailing lists, like the legendary Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKM), are timeless. They’re accessible on any device, indexable, and distraction-free. If there’s one mantra to take away here, it’s this: *mailing lists and meetups*.
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**Secretary's Note:** We don't want to go back too far in time! Modern UX matters! We're open to alternatives to mailing lists, or newer clients to make the reading experience cleaner.
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- **Touch Grass Technology**: It sounds hilarious, but TGT\* refers to tech which motivates in-person meetups. By 2030, Handmade Cities must have built, curated or contributed to a comprehensive list of TGT tools for the community.
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**References**
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- [Don’t build your castle in other people’s kingdoms](https://howtomarketagame.com/2021/11/01/dont-build-your-castle-in-other-peoples-kingdoms/)
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- Tras Otro Progreso: Filosofia de la Tecnologia desde la Periferia (Spanish)
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**Secretary's Note:** If anyone knows of an English translation for the book above, email us at support@handmadecities.com
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---
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\* We've coined Touch Grass Tech playfully but it’s based on a theory from Puerto Rican philosopher Dr. Hector Huyke, who researches philosophy of technology. Abner studied under Huyke and also read his little-known Spanish book *Tras Otro Progreso* (roughly translated as *In Search of Another Kind of Progress*). Written twelve years ago, this obscure book was rather omniscient, predicting today’s issues with how software gets deployed: loss of community, mass layoffs, social media addiction, and even a glimpse into AI-generated slop.
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Huyke’s proposed solution is a concept called *Tecnología Arraigante*, which is rather tricky to translate. Literally, it means "technology for keeping you rooted to the ground." The imagery is striking—like your feet growing tree roots and anchoring you into place. After consulting a professional translator, we found the closest English equivalent is indeed "Technology for Touching Grass." The gist is to use tech for increasing human presence without abandoning the benefits of software.
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Examples include the Light Phone, which eliminates addictive distractions, or couch co-op games, which bring people together. (Even Pokémon GO met this description for a time.)
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title="Self-Hosting for All"
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mediatype="key"
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conference="seattle-2022"
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date="2022-11-16T12:00:00-08:00"
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description="Make self-hosting actually desirable"
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thumbnail=""
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[[videos]]
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title="Memory Strategies"
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embed="https://player.vimeo.com/video/774890907"
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service="vimeo"
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download_link="https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/774890907/rendition/720p/file.mp4?loc=external&oauth2_token_id=1777364455&signature=3c443137144bf46966f5607ab00f818dfa5f98e1ac7643e62160f55e0bb27792"
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[[speakers]]
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name="Abner Coimbre"
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bio=""
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image=""
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[Prev](/operation2030/directives/meatspace) | [Contents](/operation2030) | [Next](/operation2030/appendix) (Appendix)
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You can’t realistically own every app or service you use, but you should aim to get closer to that ideal over time. The more of your computing you can run on your own servers—even if they’re initially hosted on something like a DigitalOcean Droplet, AWS instance, or Azure—the more self-sufficient you’ll become. And self-sufficiency is a core trait of a Handmade dev.
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By 2030, our goal is to make self-hosting a desirable and mainstream idea in the software industry. Even if we don’t convince everyone, we must inspire enough developers to make the broader industry blink and take notice.
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#### What Handmade Cities is Doing:
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- Built a replacement to Ticketmaster/Eventbrite for selling conference tickets
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- [Self-hosting](https://chat.handmadecities.com) Revolt for live conference chat
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- [Actively](/operation2030/structure/meetups) replacing meetup.com
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- Created our own newsletter infrastructure for mass emails
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- **Migration Off Discord**: While Discord is [still in use](https://handmadecities.com/discord) by us, it’s fallen prey to enshitification and we can be shut down too easily. We’ve begun migrating to Revolt for year round discussions, not just live conference chat. The full migration will be completed by the end of 2025.
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#### What You Might Try:
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- Join the [Indie Web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IndieWeb)
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- Host your personal website off a Raspberry Pi
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- If you use [AI models](/operation2030/appendix/proper-ai-usage), learn to run local ones and fine-tune them
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- Browse [curated](https://selfh.st/apps/) self-hosted apps, adopt one, and contribute back to the project (e.g., by submitting thoughtful GitHub issues or PRs)
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- When self-hosting isn’t practical go for privacy-respecting companies: [ProtonMail](https://protonmail.com) instead of Gmail, [Kagi](https://kagi.com) instead of Google, [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md) instead of Notion, [Ghost](https://ghost.org) instead of Mailchimp, and so on
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- **Advanced:** Build and ship your own alternative to a service that’s been enshitified
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#### Notes on UX:
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For self-hosting to become desirable, the UI/UX of (most) self-hosted software needs a massive overhaul—it’s utter garbage. This is the Key Objective keeping the founder up at night. Making self-hosting accessible will require more than just programmers too. Artists and designers are essential to this mission.
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**References**
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- A great starting point is the *Self Host Weekly* [newsletter](https://selfh.st/newsletter/), an expertly curated resource for getting into self-hosted software.
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title="Protect Small Software Shops"
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mediatype="key"
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conference="seattle-2022"
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date="2022-11-16T12:00:00-08:00"
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description="Protect (and embolden) independent craftsmanship"
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thumbnail=""
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[[videos]]
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title="Memory Strategies"
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embed="https://player.vimeo.com/video/774890907"
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service="vimeo"
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download_link="https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/774890907/rendition/720p/file.mp4?loc=external&oauth2_token_id=1777364455&signature=3c443137144bf46966f5607ab00f818dfa5f98e1ac7643e62160f55e0bb27792"
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[[speakers]]
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name="Abner Coimbre"
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bio=""
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image=""
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[Prev](/operation2030/directives/tech-worker-rights) | [Contents](/operation2030) | [Next](/operation2030/directives/meatspace)
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We must protect competent programmers and help them create and sell closed-source software for profit. Whether it’s a solo indie dev or a small team forming a private company, we need to them to succeed.
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We must grow the ranks of successful initiatives as those listed under [Exemplary Software](/operation2030/intro/exemplary-software). Note that while our focus is shipping real-world software, we also recognize the importance of industrial research or teaching material such as *Handmade Hero*, *Mr. 4th Labs*, or *Ink & Switch*. These projects (though not directly commercial products) have been crucial in shaping the community's values.
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By 2030, it must no longer be daunting for a Handmade dev to find a golden path into the industry. If a teenager dreams of becoming a low-level programmer, the answer should be obvious: "Join Handmade Cities—that’s the best place to start."
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To achieve this, we’ll expand our conferences to form partnerships with organizations providing funding or grants to Handmade devs. Handmade Cities itself is a small business funded by ticket sales, not an angel investor, so we’re keen to connect ticket holders with life-changing opportunities instead. Any alliances that we build shall conform to our [core principles](/operation2030/philosophy/core-principles).
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Imagine a future where attending a conference means more than just learning from speakers: it’s a chance to meet people foaming at the mouth to fund your next project or publish your game. A place where job booths are filled to the brim with lean companies (not corporations or VC-funded startups) offering meaningful work, great pay, and real autonomy.
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title="Mainstream Tech Worker Rights"
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mediatype="key"
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conference="seattle-2022"
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date="2022-11-16T12:00:00-08:00"
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description="Big Tech sees you as an overpaid plumber"
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thumbnail=""
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[[videos]]
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title="Memory Strategies"
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embed="https://player.vimeo.com/video/774890907"
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service="vimeo"
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download_link="https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/774890907/rendition/720p/file.mp4?loc=external&oauth2_token_id=1777364455&signature=3c443137144bf46966f5607ab00f818dfa5f98e1ac7643e62160f55e0bb27792"
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[[speakers]]
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name="Abner Coimbre"
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bio=""
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image=""
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[Prev](/operation2030/business) (Revenue) | [Contents](/operation2030) | [Next](/operation2030/directives/small-software-shops)
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### Make it a Normal Discussion
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Handmade Cities isn’t the place to stage political revolution. However, by 2030, we will have become the best place in the tech industry for open discussions on labor rights and the balance between labor and capital. (Don't underestimate the power of public forums.)
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Let's recall programmers ARE part of the labor class and that fighting for worker rights is as American as apple pie: remember how we pulled off 40-hour work weeks or outlawed child labor? The tech industry needs to reckon with this reality.
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The more skilled a programmer you are the more you might care about this topic—it directly impacts your economic future. That said, we welcome thoughtful disagreements as much as support. These debates must occur without resorting to thought-stopping clichés like calling one side “robber barons” and the other “communists.”
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If we can agree the status quo needs to change, you’re in good company.
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#### Progress So Far
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At the end of 2024, Handmade Cities took a risky step by shifting the Overton window of acceptable discourse. We platformed Andrew Kelley (creator of the Zig programming language) and his divisive keynote—a condemnation of the software industry’s financial incentives.
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**Secretary's Note:** The Twitch stream is not available as a recording yet, but we have a backup on YouTube (timestamped):
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<div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;">
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<iframe
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zYAif5PhhoQ?start=7129"
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style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;"
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allowfullscreen
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title="YouTube Video">
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</iframe>
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</div>
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Andrew's sharp tongue is *partially* responsible for the civil war within the Handmade community (see [here](https://handmade.network/blog/p/8989-separating_from_handmade_cities#30378) and [here](/news/splitting-from-handmade-network/)) and we’re still recovering from the fallout. However, we stand by the decision.
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Abner believes Andrew’s diagnosis of the industry’s problems was largely accurate. However, unlike Andrew, Handmade Cities disagrees open-source software or non-profits will rescue us; read our other Key Objective: [Protect Small Software Shops](/operation2030/directives/small-software-shops). In addition, we're betting on a culture where social status is conferred to long-term business owners. Companies like [Sublime HQ](https://www.sublimehq.com) and the mighty [Valve](https://store.steampowered.com/) (no longer small!) are great examples of this approach. We require the presence of nimble competitors keeping Big Tech [on their toes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrmqC2A3QK8).
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That said, Abner and Andrew are aligned on a crucial point: tech workers need collective bargaining power. Not everyone can start a business or join some benevolent employer. So whether it's through guilds, unions, or another form, workers (not management) need a seat at the table *pronto*: being well-paid will no longer cut it. Without negotiating power we bear witness to the continued rise of mediocre software. Workers are forced to endure hostile AI/LLM takeovers without a say. Mass layoffs march on.
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#### Handling Future Controversy
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This is our most controversial Key Objective and it will turn some people off. That’s okay. This is part of the 20% of our [80-20](/operation2030/structure/80-20) content split, so it’s trivial for community members to skip if they’re not interested. Advisory board members, meetup hosts and paid staff are also not strictly required to promote this subject themselves if it conflicts with their own views.
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This is in accordance with our philosophy [Zero Favoritism](/operation2030/philosophy/zero-favorites).
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**References**
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- Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech
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