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
Great Stuff I Read in 2022 ArticleI asked Fardeem for his favorite reads of the year, which of course means I had to reciprocate. 2
Nouns is a Tokenized Community ArticleNouns DAO's gift to the world wasn't introducing the one-a-day NFT auction.
Worldbuilding by Association NoteEverybody is worldbuilding. There is a vision of the world that you want to come to fruition, an
Man is a shepherd NoteThe Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is narrated to have said:
Each of you is a shepherd and each of yo
Tokenized communities enable bodies of work NoteReggie James asks in his most recent essay: "How does a technologist begin to look at their body
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?