How SSI Can Disrupt Platforms

How SSI Can Disrupt Platforms: Uber, AirBnB, FB, PayPal, Ebay, etc.

Thursday 13D

Convener: Timothy Ruff

Notes-taker(s): Ben Gregori

Tags for the session - technology discussed/ideas considered:

Discussion notes, key understandings, outstanding questions, observations, and, if appropriate to this discussion: action items, next steps:

Notes received from Ben Gregori:

Because SSI enables you to own your identity in relationship with others, it opens the door for vendors to respect personal borders and ask for access in exchange for providing a service.

- It will become easier/more economically valuable

- Rich/wealthy people will want to use it

- Once it becomes possible, it will become inevitable.

Protocols kill platforms – platforms are the walled garden that make it easy for people to use. But they’re limited, and eventually will not be able to offer all of the services that people demand. Limitations of the platform create incentives for new entrants.

Disintermediating the users from a platform needs a common language (protocol), and it opens the relationship

- Like email before SMTP: dependent on the email interface. Not with SMTP. So you can host a server and be independent in your email, but if you use Gmail then you’re identity is tied to google regardless of SMTP

OTT vs. SMS – SMS is a protocol, over the top (internet) is owned by platforms now, and requires them as intermediaries.

Sam Smith – open reputation (decentralized reputation)

- At first, most won’t trust it, but it will enable new entrants that provide more economic value than the incumbents.

- People will not want info held hostage…they will rather want something EASIER that enables portability and protocols enable that.

- Master place where credit card is held instead of reregistering

- Address

- Phone number (I can take it across carriers)

Example:

In this model, when you need a ride, you can broadcast that signal via protocol and ANYONE can answer because it’s a protocol (lyft, uber, new entrants, etc). I can limit who can see my info automatically due to certain characteristics like reputation.

Example:

I need a mortgage, I broadcast that with three pieces of info: value of home (I have a home) attested by nondescript title company, credit score, some reputation of follow-through on transaction. Without revealing any PII, you can flip the switch and get mortgage providers to come to you (rather than having to market by a data aggregator like Facebook or Google).

- Same can be used for very specific parts (like obscure part for some foreign home appliance)

- Protocols don’t have to be the perfect version, and they don’t have to be the best. They will win due to adoption, and then updates can happen even after adoption has happened.

Clayton Christanson (Innovators Dilemma)

- Disruptive Innovation

- Sustaining Innovation