The Post-Modern Guild 

Feudalism fell away with the Enlightenment, and royalty with the rise of the modern nation-state, Sometimes institutional change happens glacially, and sometimes they move suddenly. Gutenberg's printing press was the logjam breaker that helped quickly democratize knowledge and ushered in broader sweeping changes.

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Fast forward, and now emerging technologies and new forms of digital connection are the tools that are exposing (and sometimes creating) the cracks of industrial era capitalism, tribalized & polarized governments and supporting, complicit establishments like media, news and NGOs, paving the way for something new and less archaic.

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With the current cycle of mistrust and the foresight that half the people in the Western World are soon expected to be working in gig, freelance or contract roles, people are realizing the need to rally together and not lean solely on central institutions for their future welfare.

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Many are making the gambit that online communities (not corner or oval offices) are more likely to produce better solutions and models of work, ensure financial security, downweight occupational risks and provide flexibility.and forums for applying people's skills & crafts.

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Guilds have a role to play in building COMMERCIAL VALUE

During the Middle Ages, government and religion were intertwined. One could not easily be separated from the other.. Guilds rose in a time period when this bond loosened. Agreed-upon belief systems shifted, leaving people to organize trade and skill networks themselves, where gaps were created.

 

When belief structures change, eventually so do governance structures. Here we are again.

 

Winner take all, bigness is being displaced. Fortune 500s are being eclipsed by startups. Big utilities and resources are going off-grid and regenerative. Banks and insurance are being DeFi-ed. Space is generating broader attention beyond NASA. Formal education and degrees are being disrupted by new learning forums and certifications,

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Smarter ideas & intelligence abetted by decentralization are now winning.  More nimble rallying forces are providing lifelong training, referrals to knowledge,. innovative breakthroughs & answers to today's biggest challenges and next wild card scenario Grey Swans, 

 

Guilds have a role to play in building EDUCATIONAL VALUE.

Community has always been the social glue that holds humankind together, giving people hope, psychological safety and an anchor in times of trouble. Ding! That sets us back in our current world...your safe harbor just might not be your tribe or local community anymore.

 

The paradox is that just as the world of the 1500s was getting bigger (and less flat) and people felt connected to a much broader world than imaginable, community took on value but was much more local and amorphous.

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In our recent pandemic, the world become much smaller again. Scientists and medical practitioners rallied together during the COVID to stare down fake news and infodemics. reflective of a re-emergence of guilds and platforms helping organize, rally and protect truth, safety, professions and workers.

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Critical thinking pros, soft skill experts, change agents and creative makers & virtuosos are now held at a premium.

We've identified 50 shades of them. These people are seeking out online communities that are filling a valuable social role and collaborative void. They are replacing family, local and tribal lines, with a co-creative prescription of new functions that guilds can now perform.

 

Guilds have a role to play in building COMMUNITY VALUE.

Just as the initial rise of Guilds was associated with people travelling much greater distances and spreading ideas, trade and exploration around the world, opening up new vistas.  We are seeing the same metaphorical opening up of the world.

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People are looking further out - powerful global networks. multi-sided platforms, on-demand marketplaces and new Metaverse realities are being tied together by purpose, optimism and humanity.

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Self-organizing communities are rallying to bring back endangered species from. extinction. Technology hobbyists are helping places of war conflict with inventive uses of drones satellite data and mapping software. 

Climate change and mental health are looming time bombs that are engendering communal attention and citizen breakthroughs. 

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Knowledge wants to be free, a quasi-guild Wikipedia has built the world's most successful knowledge compendium for all to access. YouGov engages  millions of people on understanding their beliefs and behaviours.

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Resources need to be accessed. GoFundMe has raised billions for causes. Kickstarter has raised billions for smart ideas. Change.org are mobilizing millions to causes.

 

Guilds have a role to play in building SOCIETAL VALUE.