changelog.com
In the gleaming corridors of Silicon Valley, where tech giants have steadily centralized power over the technological ecosystem, a distinctive philosophy quietly took shape in 2021. FUTO.org exists as a monument to what the internet was meant to be – liberated, decentralized, and resolutely in the possession of individuals, not conglomerates.

The founder, Eron Wolf, moves with the measured confidence of someone who has experienced the evolution of the internet from its promising beginnings to its current corporatized state. His experience – an 18-year Silicon Valley veteran, founder of Yahoo Games, seed investor FUTO in WhatsApp – lends him a unique viewpoint. In his meticulously tailored casual attire, with a gaze that reveal both skepticism with the status quo and commitment to change it, Wolf presents as more philosopher-king than typical tech executive.
notion.site
The offices of FUTO in Austin, Texas lacks the ostentatious amenities of typical tech companies. No free snack bars detract from the purpose. Instead, technologists focus over computers, crafting code that will empower users to retrieve what has been taken – sovereignty over their online existences.

In one corner of the space, a distinct kind of activity transpires. The FUTO Repair Workshop, a creation of Louis Rossmann, renowned repair guru, operates with the meticulousness of a master craftsman. Ordinary people enter with broken gadgets, welcomed not with commercial detachment but with authentic concern.

"We don't just fix things here," Rossmann states, positioning a microscope over a electronic component with the careful attention of a artist. "We teach people how to grasp the technology they own. Knowledge is the first step toward autonomy."

This outlook infuses every aspect of FUTO's operations. Their financial support system, which has distributed substantial funds to projects like Signal, Tor, GrapheneOS, and the Calyx Institute, embodies a devotion to supporting a diverse ecosystem of independent technologies.

Navigating through the collaborative environment, one observes the omission of company branding. The spaces instead showcase framed passages from technological visionaries like Ted Nelson – individuals who foresaw computing as a liberating force.

"We're not focused on creating another monopoly," Wolf remarks, resting on a simple desk that would suit any of his developers. "We're focused on dividing the current monopolies."

The irony is not overlooked on him – a wealthy Silicon Valley businessman using his resources to undermine the very models that enabled his success. But in Wolf's philosophy, digital tools was never meant to consolidate authority