Real Co-op Stories (archive)
Real Co-op Stories was a podcast of conversations with practitioners of the democratic economy, which I made between December 2020 and May 2021. I wanted to learn how people start and run co-ops in the real world: how they got started, what they learned, what pitfalls to look out for, and whether it’s all worth it.
The show is no longer active. The original website is preserved in the Wayback Machine, the audio lives on the Internet Archive, and the full transcripts and site source are on GitHub.
Episodes
Introduction and Welcome (December 28, 2020, 1 min)
Welcome to Real Co-op Stories.
Episode page · Audio · TranscriptZee Spencer on Cohere and Zinc Collective (January 12, 2021, 62 min)
Zee Spencer is a software engineer and member of Cohere, a cooperative software consultancy, and Zinc Collective, a software development collective. He talks about his journey to cooperativism, his thoughts on decision-making, fundraising (or not!), and the importance of meeting people where they’re at.
Episode page · Audio · TranscriptAngi Urban on Bike Co-ops (January 27, 2021, 40 min)
Bike mechanic Angi Urban talks about her experiences in bike co-ops in the US and Mexico.
Episode page · Audio · TranscriptMicky Metts on Agaric (February 19, 2021, 66 min)
Micky Metts talks about cooperativism, free software, and life and work at Agaric, a Boston-based web development cooperative.
Episode page · Audio · TranscriptAlfredo Lopez on May First Movement Technology (May 8, 2021, 58 min)
Alfredo Lopez talks about May First, its origins, vision, and inner workings.
Episode page · Audio · Transcript