More specifically, Guilided is a digitally enabled “platform cooperative”, designed for the needs of independent artists [1].
The logic is obvious: artists almost always work–precariously–freelance. Their central skills are not focussed on business or technical matters. The digital coop offers support and improved security, with a low bar for participation.
“When you run a contract with one of your clients through Guilded, your client, not you, is charged an additional overhead fee which is 6.5% of the contract value.”
(From the Guilded Handbook)
The operational model is nice.
- Open to anyone at low cost
- Benefits accrue with use
- Membership is accessible
I’ll note that these important features have almost nothing to do with the technology. It’s the right organization, and the technology is designed to implement this organization. This is the way it should be.
Of course, this is hardly the first co-op for artists, nor the first “platform” for freelancers, nor even the first “platform co-op”. But it’s a good model, for sure, and it makes me think about directions this could go.
While this is aimed at “artists”, I’m sure the model would work for pretty much any independent contract work.
I’d note that this kind of platform could definitely be mashed up with other features to create, yes, a worker owned Uber, for example. I.e., it would be very natural for the coop could operate or collaborate with a worker owned labor market / scheduling system. Eh, voila.
I was also struck with the notion that this kind of coop really should mash up with the Freelancers Union. Shouldn’t it??? The FU should have something like this, or should ally with similar coops.
This is also a natural mash up with your local neighborhood coworking space. Either as an alliance with a for profit workspace, or as a workspace operated by the local coop.
Of course, the big challenge is sustaining this kind of co-op over time. So we’ll see how it does.
- Aaron Fernando, Co-ops for freelancers? Guilded challenges the idea of “starving artists”, in Sharable, June 30, 2022. https://www.shareable.net/co-ops-for-freelancers-guilded-challenges-the-idea-of-starving-artists/
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