I live with a hacker.
A white hat hacker (the ethical kind) who’s been paid to hack into systems, find vulnerabilities and fix them before the black hat hackers (the bad guys) exploit them.
White hat hackers have helped prevent spending limits on credit cards from being bypassed. They’ve stopped people from secretly taking control of webcams. Entire programs exist where big companies reward hackers for exposing security risks before real damage is done.
If you wanted to be dramatic, you could call them cybersecurity heroes.
Anyway, back to my original statement: I live with one.
Hackers love to read, think and talk about hacker stuff, especially on sites like Hacker News.
And so it is that little ol’ me gets exposed to techie corners of the internet she would never wander into on her own.
Such as the one that came into my life today.
A post on Reddit’s r/Confessions thread, already 2,715 comments deep (and counting) even though it’s only been live for 14 hours at the time of this writing.
A developer for a major food delivery app writes:
“I’m posting this from a library Wi-Fi on a burner laptop because I am technically under a massive NDA. I don’t care anymore…I can’t sleep at night knowing I helped build this machine.”
This software engineer with an attack of conscience claims the food delivery app:
- Deceptively charges “Priority” and “Driver Benefit” fees that go straight to the company
- Manipulates delivery times to fake faster service
- Uses a hidden “desperation score” to underpay drivers who need the money most
- Funnel tips directly into anti-union efforts
The internet, predictably, exploded. Arguments, outrage. Debates about whether this is capitalism, corruption or just plain business.
I have a confession of my own: my first reaction was to tune it out.
I didn’t want to hear about the evils of the world, the harmful business practices, the relentless focus on optimizing profits at all costs. There’s nothing I can do about it anyway. Right?
Thinking about it just feels bad – so I don’t want to think about it.
And then something else took over as I noticed my knee-jerk response.
Whether or not these particular accusations are true, business practices that prioritize making money over human kindness are happening, and they affect all of us.
I have a unique perspective on how this hurts us because I work and play with people who are actively trying to do business differently.
These heart-centered entrepreneurs and ethical creators genuinely care about not harming others through their work. They want nothing to do with profit-gauging practices that rip people off and penalize the disadvantaged.
Ironically, many of them end up stuck.
They’ve been so conditioned by the zero-sum game being played by Big Business – where the business wins and the consumer loses, that they develop an aversion to selling altogether.
They don’t want to become the thing they despise.
So they opt-out. Stay small. They hesitate, undercharge and hide.
And that’s a disservice to all of us, too.
Because the people offering the most thoughtful, humane, life-giving work are often the missing voices in the room.
I feel the overwhelm and frustration. What can we do to make a difference?
Well, here’s something.
We can talk about it.
We can listen to and amplify the contrarian voices of wisdom showcasing the possibility for ethical economics and the specific actions we can take to make a positive difference.
We can experiment with non-zero sum ways of buying, selling, creating and exchanging value.
We can build communities that don’t pretend these questions don’t exist.
That’s what I’m doing.
I want to be a part of a space where people are brave enough to question our inherited systems, honest about what isn’t working, and willing to try something else together. And become the tiny (but mighty) voices for big change in the world.
A place for creators who want to make money without abandoning their humanity.
A place for people who care.
If you want to make a positive difference in the world without making yourself feel like shit or retreating into the dark ages…the Pantheon is forming.
Details for our pioneer members are coming soon. For now, the door is a wait list.
You can step through it here:
https://portal.stephdragonheart.com/coming
I may be a tiny, playful dragon, but today my fire is burning hot.
It starts with us. It starts now.
Yours in love and play,
Steph 🐲❤️🔥
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