"How should I be represented?
Tracing five historical “skins” of skill—body scars, badges, résumés, online profiles, gig ratings—the chapter shows how each compresses and disowns labor. In a surgical “Anatomy of a Skill‑Based Identity,” participants design a new stack: Hard Skills, Soft Skills, Virtues & Values, Given Identities, all scored, evidenced, and owned. A 5×3 friction grid demonstrates how this layer dissolves verification, search, validation, onboarding, and exit blocks, reframing identity as a portable, self‑sovereign socket ."
"What’s Blocking the Future?
Inside the Reputation Bazaar, gig platforms flash leaderboards and levy 10–30 % commissions, trading friction for data captivity. Through a “Tradeoff Engine” grid, the chapter contrasts solved frictions (KYC, matching, reviews, payments) with extracted assets (identity, labor data, autonomy, exit rights). A glass‑exit mockup and “Freedom as UX” reveal how “independent” workers lose portability and benefits. Recursive callbacks to Arjun spotlight that individual infrastructure requires community consent and data ownership ."
