Writer, editor, and founder of The Elysian, Elle Griffin joins me on Infinite Loops to discuss her vision for participatory capitalism, a world where ownership, reputation, and creativity are shared more broadly across society.

We explore the evolution of capitalism from the industrial era to the networked age, how broad-based ownership could rebuild the middle class, why optimism is revolutionary, and how storytelling shapes our collective imagination.

We also discuss how reputation is becoming a new form of capital and how writers can become architects of meaning in a world reshaped by AI and automation. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, "Hmm, that's interesting!," check out our Substack - https://0bdcf674.streaklinks.com/CVrLa37GhiqP01eFjgwe0thv/https%3A%2F%2Fnewsletter.osv.llc%2F.

Important Links:

- The Elysian - https://elysian.press/
- Elle Griffin on X (Twitter) - https://x.com/elleinelysium
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellegriffin/
- Website - https://ellegriffin.com/
- Elle’s Novel Obscurity - https://www.elysian.press/t/obscurity

Show Notes:

0:00:00 Intro
0:01:03 Guest Introduction
0:04:56 The New G.I. Bill for Stock Ownership
0:10:26 Rethinking ESOPs, RSUs, and Equity for All
0:13:49 The Founder’s Dilemma: Risk, Ownership & Exit
0:17:51 Tax Incentives for Employee Ownership
0:26:43 A Tale of Two Experiments
0:32:05 The Ownership Czar for the Day
0:46:33 The Future of Work
0:53:25 The State with Baby Bonds
1:00:54 The Problem with Worth and Deserving
1:14:58 The Power of Utopian Fiction
1:20:53 The Currency of Belief and Reputation
1:38:27 Empress of the World Question

Books and References Mentioned:

- Obscurity; by Elle Griffin
- The Elysian; by Elle Griffin
- The Beginning of Infinity; by David Deutsch
- The Lessons of History; by Will & Ariel Durant
- The History of Civilization; by Will & Ariel Durant
- Why Greatness Can’t Be Planned; by Kenneth O. Stanley
- Looking Backward; by Edward Bellamy
- Herland; by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
- Les Misérables; by Victor Hugo
- Frankenstein; by Mary Shelley
- The Republic; by Plato
- Das Kapital; by Karl Marx
- The Count of Monte Cristo; by Alexandre Dumas
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; by Jules Verne
- A Tale of Two Cities; by Charles Dickens
- White Mirror Stories; by Infinite Books