The Anti-Company

Under Delaware law, a corporation is a legal person. It can do any lawful act. And it must—by law and by culture—maximize long-term value for its shareholders. Most major US companies are Delaware corporations. So when an American says “company,” this is what they mean, whether they realize it or not.

The key word is maximalist. A corporation must pursue profit by any legal means available. There is no floor. There is no good enough.

The anti-company is the opposite. We are minimalist. Our goal: lower shareholder value by reducing our cost of living to create a culture of everyday independence.

This is not financial independence. Financial independence is an individual pursuit—accumulate enough ownership in companies to cover your expenses. The anti-company is collective action. We work to help everyone need less, not to help a few have enough.

We are not trying to retire. Work is good. We want to choose our work, and to have the independence to change our minds. We want to need less money so that choice is real.

The anti-company is not anti-money. Money is a useful tool. People should be paid for their work. We are against needing to maximize profit. We are against forcing people into work they would not otherwise choose.

We pay people. A livable wage. We can do this because we help everyone need less, so a livable wage is enough.

The anti-company is a partnership. All members. One goal: help people need less. Lower shareholder value.

We earn money two ways: patronage from people who want to support the work, and tools we make and share with the world.