The Fine Print

Like most people, I dread reading the fine print. On anything. Software updates. Credit cards. Privacy policies.

I scroll, I skim, I click "agree" and move on with my life.

But when it comes to work—what I'm paid when I deliver? I have all day to read the terms.

This week I've been focusing on the idea that users are no longer just data points—they're pattern contributors, fixers, and creators. We are the unsung heroes of every product tech is launching.

I feel like it's time we reap some benefits beyond the hoodie and "free" access (which isn't really free, anymore, if you want the features you need). Once you subscribe, you're paying tech so you can use an upgraded version that was built on your pattern.

You're an artist without the royalties.

Enter the Class P Share—that's P for participation. 

A fractional equity stake that compensates me for the work I'm already doing. Every time I correct a hallucination, refine a prompt, or disappear into a late-night rabbit hole that makes an AI model smarter, my contribution adds value across the entire architecture.

Class P shares would recognize that my late-night contributions and Uber ride fixations add value far beyond just data - they make it possible to build and use my pattern to optimize their business.

The shares aren't a thank-you. Or points or perks. They're ownership. 

For once, the fine print would matter. What counts as participation? Not every click—that's noise. But the corrections that improve outputs, prompts that push the model somewhere new, and the feedback that catches problems before they scale--that's participation that adds value. 

The current architecture already tracks all of these inputs. It just hasn't been compensating me for it.

How would shares accrue? Slowly, I'd expect. Quarterly. Annually.

No instant gratification.

No gamification.

Just a quiet counter that moves when I do work—and a product tracks my purchases, reservations, help desk notes, and additions to my profile.I'd look for the dividend structure. Not jackpots or crypto hype. A modest revenue share tied to performance.

If the company does well, the Class P pool pays out. If it doesn't, it doesn't. Risk included—like every other form of equity.I'd check what happens if I stop. Accrual pauses. Fair enough. And if I leave entirely, I keep what I earned but stop earning more. Also fair.

That's how vesting works everywhere else.I'd note what I don't get. No voting rights, governance, or promotion to founder. I don't want control—good grief no—I just want compensation.

And somewhere in the middle of reading, I'd remember something: there is nothing strange about issuing a Class P share.

It looks like vesting, profit sharing, or royalties. Like every other system we already use to compensate people whose value shows up over time.

The first tech CEO who sees the future of a fractional investment in me wins the market.

I'm ready to sign.