Why It Matters
Most technology is designed to maximize profit. Public interest technology is fundamentally different—it’s designed to solve real public problems, to enable social change, and to serve communities. This requires different incentives, different metrics, and different decision-making.
Core Principle
Every product decision should align with public good outcomes. Success is measured by social impact, not engagement metrics or revenue growth.
Examples in Practice
- Metrics focus on enabling collaboration, not on engagement
- Features are designed to solve real facilitator and contributor problems
- Product decisions are evaluated on public impact potential
- Partnerships prioritize ecosystem health over market share
Guiding Questions for Decisions
- Does this serve the public interest or just our growth?
- Who benefits from this feature and who might be harmed?
- Is this aligned with our mission of enabling cross-organizational collaboration?