March Research Talk Recording - From Plutocracy to Meritocracy

March 20, 2019

View the recording of the talk here

From Plutocracy to Meritocracy: How Blockchain can Upend Digital Platforms and Empower Individuals

 

We live in the age of the digital platform. Many of the world’s largest companies create value by connecting us to one another, rather than by producing something directly. Airbnb is now worth more than most of the world’s hotel chains despite not owning any hotels. Ride sharing services like Uber are outcompeting taxi companies worldwide, despite not owning their own vehicles. Social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube provide platforms for us to capture one another’s attention, and then sell some of this attention to advertisers. These platform companies have grown immensely, becoming increasingly dominant over time by owning and controlling the conduits of interactions, and collecting user data to continually improve their services. However, distributed trust technologies such as blockchain are now presenting an existential threat to this model. Public blockchains and smart contracts can enable the creation of decentralized platforms that do not rely on profit-seeking intermediaries, and can allow individuals to own and control their user data. Without the possibility to own and control platform architecture and user data, a firm’s strategy must change fundamentally if it is to survive in this new world. This research conceptualizes how blockchain technologies change firm strategy in platform ecosystems, and asks: under what circumstances should firms continue to exist at all?

Chris Rowell, DSc (Tech), is a Postdoctoral researcher and instructor at the UBC Sauder School of Business. His research is in strategy and innovation, especially with new technologies, and he is currently following the emergence of the blockchain field in British Columbia and more broadly. Chris is especially enthusiastic about how blockchain (and other distributed trust technologies) can change the way we organize and interact, and the implications for business, governance, and society.

 


  • Announcement

First Nations land acknowledegement

We acknowledge that the UBC Point Grey campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm.


UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Chats Two speech clouds. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. External Link An arrow entering a square. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Location Pin A map location pin. Mail An envelope. Menu Three horizontal lines indicating a menu. Minus A minus sign. Telephone An antique telephone. Plus A plus symbol indicating more or the ability to add. Search A magnifying glass. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service.