Can software platforms reverse enshittification?

Can software platforms reverse enshittification?

From Riskgaming by Lux Capital

December 17, 2025 · 38 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the concept of enshittification in software platforms and explores a new manifesto for better software design.

Software kind of sucks these days, doesn’t it? Cory Doctorow invented the word “enshittification” to describe a pattern he repeatedly observed across software platforms. They start generous and flexible, but over time, they increase their value capture to maximize profits at the expense of their users. Software ends up feeling over-optimized and hostile, constantly fighting our desires. But software ultimately is for us, and there must be a better way.Well, there is, at least in theory. A coalition of software and tech luminaries, joined by hundreds of supporters, recently launched the Resonant Computing Manifesto . They want software that is private, dedicated, plural, adaptable and prosocial — the antipode of the offerings available to us today. It’s a fresh vision, one desperately needed as LLMs rapidly democratize software engineering to everyone.Riskgaming host Danny Crichton and The Orthogonal Bet host Sam Arbesman jointly host this special episode with Alex Komoroske , founder of Common Tools , which dubs itself a new fabric for computing.The three talk about the manifesto, how LLMs are changing software design, the same origin paradigm, fully homomorphic encryption…

People in this episode

Hosts: Danny Crichton, Sam Arbesman

Guest: Alex Komoroske

Topics covered

  • software platforms
  • enshittification
  • LLMs
  • software design
  • privacy
  • prosocial computing

Keywords

  • enshittification
  • software
  • LLMs
  • privacy
  • prosocial
  • computing
  • manifesto

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Common Tools, Resonant Computing Manifesto

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