A Shitton of Content
Many great talks & panels you missed at MetaFest!
Apparently there are still many of you who haven’t watched the MetaFest talks - even the people who were actually at MetaFest! 😱
And who is to blame them, apparently they were vibing
Anywho! The MetaFest sessions! 👇
MetaFest Croatia Aftermovie
MetaFest 2023 Opening + Closing Ceremony
The opening & closing of MetaFest - we share our reasons for organizing it, as well as our motivations for building MetaGame, the intersection that its being built on & some thoughts on the meme that is the Metacrisis. Come, get some context before diving into the rest of the context!
Death of Machiavelli w/ Rob Morris
Rob Morris addresses the concept of the MetaCrisis which is a crisis of crises underlying various challenges in our rapidly changing world. The speaker highlights how the speed of communication and coordination in society has increased, rendering traditional, slow decision-making structures less effective. This shift is causing coordination structures favoring fast & adaptive decision-making to become more advantageous. He also discusses the importance of moving from coordination by control & rigid structures to coordination by alignment & adaptive dynamics.
Mihaela Ulieru - Game Change From Moloch to the Organic Society through DAOs
Mihaela Ulieru explores the difficulties presented by top-down hierarchical systems & authoritarian governance models. She argues that these conventional models have intrinsic flaws & frequently obstruct growth because of their strict coordination processes and punishing attitude toward initiative and risk-taking. She introduces the concept of "organic governance," which represents a paradigm shift towards bottom-up design, emergence, and decentralized decision-making. Furthermore, the talk explores the need for a cultural shift towards belonging, autonomy, collaboration, and other essential capacities to build a more inclusive and accountable society.
Regenerating Earth One Local Node at a Time w/ Anna Kaic
Anna takes us on a journey to understand the urgent need for regeneration of our planet, focusing on Earth's current environmental challenges. She emphasizes the importance of holistic wealth, considering not only monetary riches but also inner well-being, social and cultural capital, and the environment. She introduces ReFi DAO, a movement aimed at fostering regenerative projects worldwide. Anna highlights various global initiatives and projects supported by ReFi DAO, all working toward the common goal of regenerating communities and addressing local challenges.
Antonio Pagliano - Syntropic Agroforestry
Antonio Paglino discusses the importance of creating trust networks & collaborations among small family farms, particularly in situations where farmers have products but lack access to markets. He emphasizes the need for information technology and blockchain to enhance transparency and trust within these communities. He highlights the importance of grassroots efforts and organic organization in building regional economies with local sovereignty. The ultimate goal is to create a base layer blockchain for each biocultural region, facilitating various initiatives, land trusts, community currencies, and worker cooperatives.
Practicing Regenerative Agriculture w/ Vikram Singh
Vikram Singh shares his journey from India to Central Europe & his deep passion for regenerative agriculture. He discusses the importance of regenerative farming practices in addressing soil degradation & climate change. Vikram highlights key principles of regenerative agriculture, including minimal soil disturbance, keeping soil covered with plant matter, crop rotations, and responsible animal grazing. He emphasizes the need for a shift away from conventional agriculture, which relies heavily on machinery and petrochemicals, and explains how regenerative farming can not only save our planet but also be profitable for large farms.
Regen Architecture Towards a Post capitalist Housing Community Model w/ Clara Gromaches
Clara discusses the current challenges in housing and how technology, self-organization, and regenerative architecture can address them to create fair, sovereign, and regenerative societies. Clara emphasizes that housing should be considered a universal right and public good, highlighting the growing issue of rising rents and housing prices while salaries remain stagnant. She encourages a strategic construction design approach that blends architectural artistry with technology, materials, and sustainability.
Sam Delesque - Regenerative Accounting in Land Based Communities
Sam emphasizes the need to create more life, both in terms of quantity, quality, and diversity, across all forms of organisms, from microbes to humans. The speaker introduces project "oasa," a web3 conservation network with the aim of transitioning ownership into stewardship. They explain that this transition involves shifting from an extraction-based mentality to one focused on caring for natural resources. The talk also explores “Traditional Dream Factory”, a co-created web3 village with a focus on regenerative principles - outlining how they track & measure their impact on various levels, including nature, housing, infrastructure & community.
Justina - From Soil to Servers Unpacking the Intersection of Mycology and DAOs
Justina delves into the world of mycelium, the intricate network of fungi found beneath our feet. She draws intriguing parallels between mycelium and the rapidly evolving Web3 space, shedding light on how these natural networks can inspire innovative approaches to resource distribution, organizational dynamics, and resilience in today's digital landscape. She shares insights from experiments with mycelium, showcasing how these networks distribute resources, adapt to changing conditions, and even downsize when necessary—a crucial lesson for organizations in the Web3 era.
The Intersection of Science, Religion and Coordination w/ METADREAMER
METADREAMER explores the intersection of science, religion, and coordination. Drawing from a deep understanding of history & various world religions, he delves into the concept of coordination as a means to combat entropy, the natural tendency toward chaos in the universe. Science, according to the speaker, addresses material entropy, while religion tackles spiritual entropy. The talk emphasizes the importance of individual coordination, asserting that solving coordination problems begins within each individual. He highlights the role of spiritual coordination & suggests that large-scale coordination can be achieved by creating synchronization rituals & protocols within communities.
Kickstarting a Computer aided gLocal Community w/ Roberto Valenti
Roberto explores the intersection of technology, community & sustainability, challenging conventional economics & going back to "economy" as "household management." He also highlights the existence of eco-villages as sustainable prototypes amidst a destructive economic system. The talk delves into the significance of communication within communities and the challenges that arise as communities grow. He proposes a system where people can share their needs, creating a global platform for addressing pressing issues collaboratively - introducing their own project, a bot called "Re:quest," which empowers communities to collaborate efficiently.
Aerial Silk Performance by Lea Komel
Lea Komel dancing on the silk during MetaFest Croatia 2023.
Hanzi Freinacht - The Real Political Philosophy of Crypto
Hanzi Freinacht delves into the relationships between major 20th-century ideologies: conservatism, fascism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, socialism, anarchism, and anarcho-capitalism. He highlights how these ideologies are interconnected and form a complex web of human interaction, and how these ideologies are like a fractal, containing elements of each other. He emphasize that even in competitive scenarios, cooperation is essential, as seen in international relations when countries cooperate in times of conflict. This vision challenges conventional notions of individuality, freedom, & societal projects, ultimately advocating for a philosophy known as metamodernism.
Metamodernising The Global South w/ Davi Lemos
Davi Lemos discusses a novel approach to addressing poverty, hunger, and resource scarcity at the organizational level. He emphasizes the importance of applying these concepts today and making them accessible to people. The idea is to redefine the objective of organizations, shifting from a traditional focus on maximizing shareholder returns to one that prioritizes maximizing the number of individuals who benefit from the organization's resources, fostering personal development & healing from traumas.
What Does It Mean To Be Radical w/ The Blockchain Socialist
Drawing inspiration from French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, Josh challenges common crypto narratives and models, such as crypto as money, crypto as finance, and crypto as coordination. He emphasizes the importance of critically evaluating the models we use to understand crypto and how these choices have political consequences. Josh also highlights the need for collective ownership of digital infrastructure to prevent the centralization of power in the crypto space. This talk encourages viewers to rethink assumptions about cryptocurrency and blockchain, promoting a more radical and open-minded approach to these transformative technologies.
Imagine DAOs Unleashing the Potential of DAOs w/ Dr Nick
Dr. Nick delves into the world of DAOs. He discusses the importance of education in nurturing a deeper understanding of DAOs and the potential for DAOs to empower individuals and promote autonomy in the future of work. The talk explores the concept of a "DAO takeoff" moment, where DAOs gain widespread adoption and transform the way we organize and collaborate. Dr. Nick also touches on various exciting developments, including AI in DAOs, citizen science, protocol DAOs, and the need for reputation systems to filter ideas and maintain efficient decision-making.
Practical Lessons in Cryptoeconomic Coordination w/ Ori Shimony
Ori delves into the practical aspects of coordinating within decentralized systems. He begins by introducing the historical context of Project Cybersyn, an ambitious experiment in Chile during Salvador Allende's presidency in the early 1970s. The goal was to manage the national economy through a decentralized network of Telex machines, using cybernetics principles to make real-time decisions based on information flows. The speaker emphasizes the importance of crypto-economics as a groundbreaking domain for experimenting with new forms of political and economic systems, governance, and money.
DAOs 2.0: Overcoming Challenges & The DAO Renaissance w/ Daniel Ospina
Daniel Ospina examines the evolution of organizational structures, why traditional corporations are often dysfunctional & highlights the need for a new organizational form that combines autonomy, flexibility & scale. The talk touches on various challenges within existing structures, including employee disengagement & control technologies. Then outlines a set of principles for the new organizational form. Ultimately, the talk envisions a future where organizations grow collaboratively, reward contributors, and serve as platforms for diverse visions & ventures.
Rethinking Legitimacy, Agency, and Bureaucracy in DAOs - Phil H
Phil explores the intricate dynamics of power structures within DAOs and the challenges of achieving true decentralization. He delves into the concept of DAO legitimacy, emphasizing the importance of understanding what decentralization means and whether we can trust the power being implemented in decentralized systems. Phil highlights the common belief that decentralized systems tend to be inefficient, which raises questions about their legitimacy compared to traditional hierarchical organizations.
Meta systemic Coaching: The Future of Organizational Development w/ Lauri Paloheimo
Laurie explains the idea of meta-systemic coaching and its applicability in the rapidly evolving fields of technology, artificial intelligence, and human growth. He highlights the need for organizations to adapt and thrive in the face of exponential complexity and offers insights into how systemic coaching can play a crucial role in achieving this. Laurie emphasizes the importance of transcending traditional thinking patterns and embracing new concepts to navigate the complexities of modern life. Ultimately, Laurie's vision is to increase agency and intelligence within organizations, fostering adaptability and collective intelligence to tackle complex challenges.
Why Defy & The Future of DeFi w/ DeFi Dude
DeFi Dude discusses the evolution of decentralized finance (DeFi) from its origins to the present day and the challenges DeFi faces in achieving mainstream adoption. He shares their perspective on the likelihood of a complete shift in the financial system & express a vision of a hybrid system with DeFi elements. The talk touches on the potential for DeFi to significantly impact financial systems in other parts of the world, especially countries where traditional systems are not as entrenched.
Governance Patterns - Grace Rachmany, Esther Galfalvi & Erin Magennis
In this panel, we explore the hidden dynamics and emotions that often shape decision-making processes within decentralized organizations and communities, particularly in the context of DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations). They emphasize the importance of understanding the emotional and physical sensations associated with certain moments and decisions, both in online text-based interactions and face-to-face conversations. Grace, Ester and Erin lead the audience through a participatory exercise where attendees engage in role-play scenarios, replicating real-life situations where emotions and conflicts may arise.
Regulatory Considerations for DAOs & Web3 Projects w/ Jawna Standish
In this talk Jawna Standish, an ombud at BanklessDAO and representative of the Marshall Islands government's registered agent for Web3 legislation, provides valuable insights into the legal aspects of Web3 and DAOs. She discusses regulatory considerations, jurisdiction choices, and potential risks for founders and members. Jonna emphasizes the importance of legal wrappers and their role in protecting Web3 projects. While keeping it friendly & informal, she navigates the complex legal landscape, making it accessible for everyone interested in Web3 and DAOs.
Funding Radical Innovation w/ Dor Garbash
Dor Garbash, an experienced innovator, explores the challenges of stifled creativity in traditional organizations. The talk delves into the limitations of traditional systems, emphasizing the need for open innovation, diverse decision-making, and autonomous execution. The speaker discusses the roles and audiences involved in this model, stressing the importance of aligning decision-makers with those most affected by the outcomes. He highlights the emotional and rational aspects of the model, emphasizing trust, long-term incentives, transparency, and reputation-building.
Web3 Building Blocks & Mechanisms w/ Dr.Nick & Ori Shimony
Two experts explore game theory & mechanism design in the context of the blockchain technology, emphasizing the potential for groundbreaking mechanisms to emerge. The conversation encourages bold yet cautious experimentation, urging creators to push boundaries while avoiding undue risk to investors' capital. The speakers stress the importance of iterative experiments and share valuable resources for those interested in exploring mechanism design further. Ultimately, they call for a measured approach that prevents excessive speculation and extraction while fostering innovation and sustainable growth in the crypto space.
Ivan & Boris Play GypsyJazz on the Terrace - MetaFest Croatia 2023
Ivan Bilić and Boris Maurović play their guitars on top of Fort Punta Christo at MetaFest Croatia 2023.
360° Fishbowl on Present, Future, Upsides & Downsides of Reputation Systems
Join us for 360 experience of a fishbowl session on reputation and reward systems. Discover how reputation goes beyond numbers, impacting community perception. We debate what should be quantified and what's better left unquantified, influencing user behavior & treasuries. Explore the unique gift-like quality of reputation, earned or given, as well as the challenges & pitfalls of measuring it. We emphasize balancing quantitative and qualitative assessments, with trust and time at the core. We also talk about staking in reputation systems, transferability, and the fruitful but dangerous fusion of money and reputation.
Community Credit Networks w/ Jacob
Jacob explores the concept of using community credit to generate community capital. The central hypothesis is that trust and credit can be combined to create capital where it didn't previously exist. The talk delves into key aspects of credit, such as interest, underwriting (the process of determining creditworthiness), and the borrower's perspective of using credit as a means to bring future production into the present. Furthermore, it explores the notion of community credit and how it can enhance the local economy. The talk centers on the importance of lowering coordination costs in credit transactions and the potential of permissionless credit on blockchain networks.
Building Things People Want Part I - User Research w/ Boyana of Deep Work
Having a deep understanding of people’s needs is essential to creating useful & successful products. Lucky for you, Boyana has loads of experience doing just that. Come, learn the basics of user research & validating your ideas through practice of powerful research techniques around asking the right questions to get to those insights!
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