Jihad Esmail

I'm Jihad, a researcher, operator, and strategist building internet-native organizations.

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I'm Jihad Esmail, a researcher, operator, and strategist building internet-native organizations. I'm currently a Core Contributor at Forefront, building at the frontier of tokenized communities. I'm also a researcher at Other Internet, an applied research organization studying social technology. I studied Economics at Northwestern University and co-founded AMA, a creator growth agency that was acquired by Jellysmack. Previously, I've also worked with Syndicate, YBI, and Gitcoin.

I believe that crypto primitives will unlock a new generation of work and play, unlocking new ways to build scenes, blur the lines between traditional and indie work, and allowing communities to own the cultural value they create.

Recently

Thoughtspaces

Distributed Identity Formation

Identity is shaped by our worldbview and our associations. Do we have control over our own identities? How is brand and culture related to identity? How does our personal philosophy shape our identity, and vice-versa?

Tokenized Communities

Tokenized communities are meme-driven capital allocation networks. Why do they matter? How should they be built? Why are they valuable? Who is using them?