Class P Shares—P for Participation

I must admit I am not a fan of participation trophies. 

When I played sports, I liked winning and hated losing. I wanted the big trophy—the one with actual weight to it. Not the smaller one with less gold and sparkle that said "You're #2!" 

But now that I'm older—and effectively a full-time ghost worker for Google—I'm suddenly very interested in being rewarded for my participation.

Here's how I imagine it might work.Every time I contribute something meaningful—correct a hallucination, refine a prompt, improve an output, disappear into a late-night rabbit hole that makes the model better—that contribution is logged. 

Not as a thank-you. Not as vibes. As participation.Over time, those contributions accumulate. Not in a way that feels gamified or cute. In a way that quietly tracks the work I'm already doing.

The same work these systems depend on to get smarter, more useful, and more valuable.My participation converts into a "Class P" stake.

Fractional. Modest. Real.

The winner's trophy—with the gold and sparkles.

The stake wouldn't be symbolic. It would pay dividends. Real money, tied to actual performance. A small revenue pool allocated to Class P shares, distributed automatically, tracked on a blockchain ledger designed to do one thing well: record my participation, acknowledge that my pattern is valuable, and pay me for it.

Not bonuses. Not perks. Compensation.

There's nothing exotic about it. It's how labor has always worked—do the work, share in the upside. The only difference is that my "added value" doesn't happen in an office or come with a W-2.

Investors lining up to finance trillion-dollar IPOs should be asking a very basic question: if your product value depends entirely on sustained user participation, what's your user retention plan? If your competitor is offering more than "free access and a year in review video," what's your plan? The industry leader replies, "Class P shares are our plan".

Not because it's fair—because it's sustainable. 

A user with a stake doesn't churn when the next shiny thing launches. Participation that pays is participation that stays. Tech companies already understand this with employees. Equity isn't a gift—it's a retention tool. Stock options keep engineers from jumping to the competitor down the street. Vesting schedules are designed to make leaving expensive.

Why would pattern contributors (we're no longer just users) be any different?

I think we're fast approaching the time that tech cannot assume that their ghost workforce will stick around for free. That we'll keep correcting, refining, and training because the product is useful enough. 

Maybe that's true for now. But 20 years is a long time to hope while your stock flutters and shifts with every mood or trend.

I am no longer a data provider. I contribute my patterns—and my pattern has real value. Value prioritizes autonomy - and yes, compensation.

Tomorrow: The fine print.