4.3. And What Would the World Feel Like?
Diane is a junior developer with a considerable skill set. After she landed some newbie gigs with bigger transnational companies she felt both overworked and under-challenged, so she decided to join a bunch of developers who have committed to working toward a green transition. Her job was to develop an app for people that buy and sell home-generated-electricity – cooperatives similar to Paul’s, in Berlin.
After a short while she realised that this is not a mission which attracts a lot of start-up capital, as it was not the principal aim of the app to generate quick revenue. Luckily she discovered an EU funding scheme for research and innovation that was deliberately aimed at civil society organisations, non-profit technology projects and cooperatives with a clear mission of green and social change. The funding helped her to develop the app and a sustainable business model that provides enough money for the three developers that now maintain and further develop the app.
The app is – of course – licensed under a Free and Open Software license so other cooperative can tailor it to their needs. Or have Diane and her team do it for them.