Thoughts on Immaterial Value

Current musings and business updates for a solo contributor in the context of professional design and development services

For the past four years, I’ve intentionally distanced myself from social media, believing it was not a place where I wanted to define my value. Instead, I invested in this newsletter: a space to keep in touch on my terms, free from algorithms, and ephemeral trends. It is the starting point for my professional inquiry. It allows me to share insights and thoughts in a way that feels true to my work and process. And thanks to all of you, it has connected me to amazing clients. To whom, I thank for keeping the lights running and keeping this experiment alive.

Process texture map from Swinging, 2017. For the Tate and one of my last Facebook posts

The decision to focus on client services as an individual contributor was deliberate. It provided a foundation and clarified the kind of work I want to focus on: imagining interactions and building experiences people use. This decision did in fact open up space for the work. But, running this type of business requires many focuses: accounting, contract writing, and a lot of back-and-forth meetings to name a few. Sometimes I wonder if there is a more effective way to distribute my work and the work I want to make. Social media claims to have solved this. And recently, other ideas I saw online bolster social media’s claims.

In his talk earlier this year at TOKEN2049¹ Murad Mahmudov describes a compelling phenomenon. The speaker framed social media as an asset class for younger generations, especially those with limited access to traditional wealth-building means. This framing has stuck with me. It highlights a paradox: while I remain hesitant about serving my work on social media, I see its potential as a platform for wealth in a rapidly changing economic landscape.

I do not claim to have any answers to this, but this tension fuels much of my thinking as we move into 2025. What is motivating you as we move into the new year? Are there topics or themes you think I should focus on?

—Jono

1. The Memecoin Supercycle. Murad Mahmudov. TOKEN2049, Singapore. 2024.