Why on earth would someone give up ownership of their product or platform to an overseas subsidiary? The risks of that are massive, especially in a setting that is more prone to conflict as of late. This would increase the risks of losing your IP entirely. If ownership and development move overseas, then you'd be giving what you have away to someone else to entrust them with the entire thing to avoid paying a bit of tax. Software has its own supply chain too, and if you lose your product or platform due to doing this then that's going to be too bad...USA protections means USA presence and USA taxes.
TL;DR: Engaging with decentralized organizations and open-source communities allows access to global talent and diverse perspectives, fostering innovation and resilience. This approach, focusing on collaboration over ownership, offers potential benefits in R&D and innovation, outweighing traditional models that prioritize geographical and IP constraints.
1. Global Talent and Diverse Perspectives: DAOs and open-source projects, by their nature, often operate without geographical boundaries. This allows them to hire and collaborate with talent from all over the world, bringing in diverse perspectives and expertise that can be crucial for R&D and innovation. The traditional model of keeping all operations within a single country might limit access to this global talent pool.
2. Decentralization as a Strength: Decentralized structures can offer resilience and flexibility. In a world where geopolitical tensions and conflicts can disrupt traditional business operations, a decentralized model, with no single point of failure or control, might actually reduce certain risks. Intellectual property, in this case, isn't concentrated in one jurisdiction but is part of a global network, which could mitigate the risk of loss due to regional conflicts or regulatory changes.
3. Innovation and Experimentation: The open-source and DAO model is fundamentally about experimentation and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in technology and organizational structures. By embracing these models, companies can participate in cutting-edge developments and explore new ways of working that might not be possible within the confines of traditional corporate structures.
4. Intellectual Property Considerations: While there are legitimate concerns about IP protection, decentralized and open-source models often operate on a different paradigm regarding IP. The focus is less on ownership and more on collaboration, community, and building upon shared knowledge. In many cases, the value generated isn't from the IP itself but from the community and ecosystem that develops around it.
5. Regulatory and Tax Implications: It's important to acknowledge that regulatory and tax environments are significant considerations. However, for some organizations, the benefits of global collaboration and access to decentralized structures might outweigh the simplicity of operating within a single jurisdiction.
I'm a fan of DAOs for some things, but giving the legal ownership of the IP and the keys to running the entire platform to a subsidiary is not the same conversation as "here's how DAOs work."
