Hey everyone! The response to this post has been really great and encouraging. Unfortunately we had to close our general admission bc the response was too much for a zoom call...oops! If you want to stay in touch or interested, but can't buy a ticket at this point please check out our google form. Thank you!!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhUEMiZnaWbHAhhioC...
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Hey folks, I'm Vivek! I'm excited to share my vision for ending the plastic epidemic and The Sustainable CO-OP Store.
Our vision is to create an Amazon-like online store, along with a physical location, but only for sustainable friendly products.
Instead of building this startup as a traditional investor-backed company, we have decided to create it as a worked-own cooperative. There are many reasons why worker-owned co-ops are amazing. Greater financial equality between all workers, increased business stability, a democratic workplace, community-centric and much more. Still, the thing that I believe is most powerful about a worker-owned co-op is that it's mission-driven over financially driven.
When we complain about how farms use various chemicals in our food or how social media companies are continually trying to get us to use their apps, it's because these companies are under pressure to grow their profits--quarter after quarter, year after year. They have investors who demand growth, which often forces them to compromise their products and services to meet these demands.
Worker-owned co-ops generally don't have those same pressures because the workers, not the investors, own the business. And because the workers get paid a salary or wages, they aren't stressed whether the company grows or not. They instead can focus on whatever they determine is most important, whether that be job security, profitability, the product, or something else.
We have our first general meeting tonight, and we're looking for folks who are passionate about the environment and may be interested in getting involved (it isn't a full-time thing yet). For this idea to succeed, having a few enthusiastic software developers will be essential. If this sounds like you, this meeting will be of interest.
I'd add some credentials to the landing page so people take you seriously. When you have copy like "I liken it to friends coming together...", my first question is who is "I"? Do they have any chance of pulling this off?
I appreciate the feedback! I guess I was hesitate to put too much attention on me because it's a worker owned co-op but perhaps to kick this project off it would have been okay. If interested, here is my blog https://medium.com/@vivekmgeorge and Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivekmgeorge/.
And if there isn't a clear legible niche (e.g. Patagonia) what makes someone recognize this?
"They have investors who demand growth, which often forces them to compromise their products and services to meet these demands.
Worker-owned co-ops generally don't have those same pressures because the workers, not the investors, own the business"
Yes, but I think a challenge is to be sooo good you outcompete the more extractive store. Some communities (such as gameb) talk about specific areas (e.g. an honest car mechanic network, or a better call center company) - it isn't just about stuff.
I feel like I've seen some interesting businesses doing good stuff still under a boring legal structure of a boring S-Corp or LLC (while being informally a cooperative), and arguably evil businesses doing things under the veil of a B-Corp.
You may want to check out what we talk about on http://earth-regenerators.mn.co/ . It's a bit less about conscious consumerism and more about land restoration, commons models, and possibly finding some regenerative business models on the pathway there. Looking for folks who've taken classes from https://www.gaiaeducation.org may also help.
Hey Vivek!
We are on a similar track with our startup https://www.ecolist.io and if you have time and are open to it, we would like to share some ideas with you! :)
"I'm excited to share my vision for ending the plastic epidemic and The Sustainable CO-OP Store."
My initial reading is that you have a vision to end the plastic epidemic as well as ending The Sustainable CO-Op Store.
There's nothing in here about what specifically it is you intend to sell. Everything as long as it isn't plastic? Does Amazon itself not already sell the products you'll have available? Target? Wal-Mart?
Who are the likely customers? Wealthier people with money to burn on more expensive, but eco-friendly products? Is there a plan on how to reach and "intrigue" the target customer group?
Hi Vivek - Is your packaging also going to be sustainable? What I find annoying is when I spend 3x on a "sustainable" product that comes wrapped in 2 layers of bubble-wrap in a plastic-paper envelope.
Plastic recycling, as I hope we now know, is a full-on scam and a lie. [1] [2]
Hey everyone! The response to this post has been really great and encouraging. Unfortunately we had to close our general admission bc the response was too much for a zoom call...oops! If you want to stay in touch or interested, but can't buy a ticket at this point please check out our google form. Thank you!! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhUEMiZnaWbHAhhioC...
------
Hey folks, I'm Vivek! I'm excited to share my vision for ending the plastic epidemic and The Sustainable CO-OP Store.
Our vision is to create an Amazon-like online store, along with a physical location, but only for sustainable friendly products.
Instead of building this startup as a traditional investor-backed company, we have decided to create it as a worked-own cooperative. There are many reasons why worker-owned co-ops are amazing. Greater financial equality between all workers, increased business stability, a democratic workplace, community-centric and much more. Still, the thing that I believe is most powerful about a worker-owned co-op is that it's mission-driven over financially driven.
When we complain about how farms use various chemicals in our food or how social media companies are continually trying to get us to use their apps, it's because these companies are under pressure to grow their profits--quarter after quarter, year after year. They have investors who demand growth, which often forces them to compromise their products and services to meet these demands.
Worker-owned co-ops generally don't have those same pressures because the workers, not the investors, own the business. And because the workers get paid a salary or wages, they aren't stressed whether the company grows or not. They instead can focus on whatever they determine is most important, whether that be job security, profitability, the product, or something else.
We have our first general meeting tonight, and we're looking for folks who are passionate about the environment and may be interested in getting involved (it isn't a full-time thing yet). For this idea to succeed, having a few enthusiastic software developers will be essential. If this sounds like you, this meeting will be of interest.
I hope to see you tonight! Thank you
PS. If you want to learn more clearly about the difference between a startup and a co-op, I made a video on YouTube. Enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNJupnV6SgA&t=6s