Hello all,
I’ve recently researched a little about tech coops around the world,
and was really happy to find this impressive community.
My name is Oz, and I’m a member of Sofi(https://soficoop.com), a software and graphic design coop in Israel.
We are doing web development - websites and applications, using VueJs, WordPress and other technologies.
Sofi came into being about a year and a half ago, after 2-3 similar attempts by other people.
We’re 8 people now, and are now facing the question whether we should grow, and if so how.
I think living within a network of coops is a good way to grow.
I also think tech cooperatives are a big promise for the hi-tech industry, were the pressure for profits and race for getting the edge over everybody can create a stressful and unbalanced mentality.
We want to put people before profits, because the tech sector can provide both reasonable income and well being.
I’m curious what kind of successful cooperations between tech coops have been made, and what is the vision to the future
Since this place makes me feel like so much is possible I will brainstorm a few dreams:
Tech Cooperatives radio/podcast?
Exchanging knowledge, courses
Partnering on projects where there are complementary skills
Exchanging workers - Working some time in a different coop may be a good way to share professional and organizational knowledge?
Crowdfunding tech - Thinking of a great product that the world needs and promotes our values, and raising money for it, managing it ourselves.
There are also many questions, like how to get new members, how to do remote work right, how to facilitate the creation of other cooperatives…
But this post is already too long,
Happy to meet you all, and kudos for the work you’ve done!
Hi and great to meet you! That’s awesome that you guys exist & are doing so well
I can’t speak for everyone but my vision for the future is to spread co-ops allover the world and abolish hierarchy! I think this should be our objective for the next year or so anyway
Our co-op (Code-Operative) has been around for less than a year, we don’t have any examples of working with other co-ops on projects, but this has been a hot topic of conversation recently & we’re hoping this will be a common occurrence soon
We talk a lot with HappyDev and they’ve helped us a lot with advice, a couple of us are in Paris visiting them at the moment they’re also a great example of a co-op that’s spread across France very quickly with a decentralised model, might be some good people to chat to @alexbourlier
I love your ideas, particularly for exchanging workers (I think this could be a great way to build close ties internationally and enrich experience), and the podcast sounds like a lot of fun, too
I’m in the US, but I was born in Tiveria. I work at a worked-owned Managed Service Provider in Cambridge MA. Glad to hear there are tech co-ops in Jerusalem!
calummackervoy I like your world encompassing vision, and thank you for the recommendation
Sometimes we’re too absorbed into the daily work, but lifting our head and looking at the possibilities and connection that can be made is an important drive.
Hello yochaigal I imagine you keep some of the Tiveria spirit with you
And hello chrislowis, it’s awesome that every person here reveals a new cooperative, and makes you reflect on your own coop.
This network is like a garden or a “forest garden” I’m curious to see how it grows
