ACCOUNTABILITY
A philosophy earns trust through the questions it can answer. Economic power should be visible, understandable, and open to challenge.
Four standards for every institution
Owners hold the rights defined by the ownership agreement. Workers can gain a stake through transparent, voluntary arrangements. Contributing to a project must never be presented as an automatic grant of equity or voting rights.
Pay people fairly for their work, honor obligations, and recognize invested capital and risk. Define the share available for worker rewards, owner returns, and reinvestment in advance, with worker representation in decisions about their share.
Managers handle delegated operations. Owners govern ownership matters. Workers elect representatives for decisions affecting their interests. Public policy belongs to democratic institutions, with protected individual rights and routes to appeal.
Publish decision rules, understandable accounts, outcomes, and conflicts of interest. Provide independent review, protection against retaliation, and a defined process to challenge or replace decision-makers who misuse their authority.
HOW WE JUDGE SUCCESS
Four standards for evaluating results. These describe what success must demonstrate, not achievements we claim.
Success means people gain meaningful choices about their work, time, and future.
Look for: realistic alternatives, the ability to leave, and control over decisions that affect daily life.Success means people can meet essential needs and withstand a setback.
Look for: income stability, manageable costs, and the ability to recover from an interruption.Success means more people build a meaningful stake in the value they help create.
Look for: who owns assets, how rewards are distributed, and what decision rights come with a stake.Success means more people can learn, contribute, and start something of their own.
Look for: access to skills, resources, and entry points, including for people previously left out.Set a starting point. Agree on measures. Review changes over time and across different groups. Publish the costs, failures, and unintended effects alongside the gains. If the evidence falls short, revise the approach.
KEEP EXPLORING
Read what we believe