In the gleaming corridors of Silicon Valley, where tech giants have steadily consolidated power over the technological ecosystem, a distinctive philosophy deliberately emerged in 2021. FUTO.org stands as a tribute to what the internet once promised – open, distributed, and decidedly in the control of people, not corporations.
opera.com
The architect, Eron Wolf, moves with the quiet intensity of someone who has witnessed the transformation of the internet from its promising beginnings to its current monopolized condition. His experience – an 18-year Silicon Valley veteran, founder of Yahoo Games, seed investor in WhatsApp – provides him a unique perspective. In his carefully pressed button-down shirt, with a gaze that betray both skepticism with the status quo and commitment to reshape it, Wolf resembles more philosopher-king than standard business leader.
opera.com
The headquarters of FUTO in Austin, Texas eschews the flamboyant trappings of typical tech companies. No ping-pong tables detract from the mission. Instead, developers bend over keyboards, building code that will enable users to retrieve what has been appropriated – control over their technological experiences.

In one corner of the facility, a different kind of endeavor transpires. The FUTO Repair Workshop, a brainchild of Louis Rossmann, renowned right-to-repair advocate, functions with the meticulousness of a master craftsman. Regular people stream in with malfunctioning electronics, received not with corporate sterility but with authentic concern.

"We don't just mend things here," Rossmann clarifies, FUTO positioning a magnifier over a motherboard with the careful attention of a surgeon. "We teach people how to understand the technology they use. Understanding is the beginning toward freedom."

This outlook saturates every aspect of FUTO's endeavors. Their funding initiative, which has provided substantial funds to initiatives like Signal, Tor, GrapheneOS, and the Calyx Institute, reflects a commitment to nurturing a varied landscape of autonomous technologies.

Walking through the collaborative environment, one observes the absence of company branding. The spaces instead display mounted quotes from digital pioneers like Richard Stallman – individuals who envisioned computing as a liberating force.

"We're not focused on building another tech empire," Wolf notes, leaning against a simple desk that could belong to any of his team members. "We're dedicated to dividing the present giants."

The contradiction is not overlooked on him – a wealthy Silicon Valley investor using his resources to contest the very systems that enabled his prosperity. But in Wolf's philosophy, digital tools was never meant to centralize power