Why I'm Anti-Corporate But Not Anti-Capitalist

Many people might assume I hate money because I criticize Big Tech platforms and call out guru marketing tactics.

That's not it at all.

I'm anti-corporate, not anti-capitalist. There's a huge difference, and understanding it will save you years of frustration as a creator.

What Anti-Corporate Actually Means

Corporations prioritize shareholder value over everything else. They have to. It's literally built into their structure.

This leads to what Cory Doctorow calls "enshittification." Platforms start useful, then gradually become extractive. First they're good to users to attract them. Then they abuse users to serve business customers. Finally, they abuse everyone to maximize profit.

Twitter became X. Medium keeps changing its monetization. YouTube demonetizes creators without warning. Facebook throttles organic reach unless you pay.

Every single time, the pattern is the same. Provide value, build dependency, extract value.

That's not capitalism. That's exploitation wearing capitalism's clothes.

What Capitalism Actually Looks Like

Real capitalism is simple. You provide value, people pay for it voluntarily, everyone wins.

I write useful content. You find it helpful. You subscribe to my newsletter or buy my product. I make money, you solve a problem. Fair exchange.

No manipulation. No bait-and-switch. No extracting your data to sell to advertisers while paying you nothing.

When platforms take your content, your audience data, and your attention, then sell it to advertisers while giving you scraps, that's not capitalism. That's digital sharecropping.

Why This Matters for Creators

Most creators build their entire business on rented land. They pour years into growing followings on platforms they don't control.

Then the platform changes the rules. Algorithm shifts kill their reach. New policies ban their content. The company gets acquired and everything changes overnight.

You wake up one day and discover your business doesn't actually belong to you.

This isn't an anti-money stance. It's a pro-creator stance. You should own what you build.

The Alternative Isn't Harder

Own your platform. Start with email lists, personal websites, direct payment systems. Platforms you control.

Use social media for discovery, not dependency. Drive traffic to spaces you own, not spaces you rent.

Charge fairly for real value. Build direct relationships with people who appreciate your work.

This approach takes longer to scale but creates something that lasts. Corporate platforms can disappear overnight. Your email list and website can't.

It's About Control, Not Money

I want you to make money. Lots of it. From work you're proud of, sold to people you respect, at prices that reflect real value.

What I don't want is for you to become dependent on systems designed to extract value from your labor while giving you just enough to keep you creating.

The internet was supposed to democratize creation and distribution. Instead, we've built digital plantations where creators do the work and corporations collect the profit.

You can opt out. Start small, own your platform, serve your people directly.

That's not anti-capitalist. That's capitalism working the way it should.

What you create belongs to you. Build like it.

Thanks for reading!

Hi, I'm Joe. I help creators share their unique voices simply and effectively. Here's how I can help you:

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