Story 7b: Small Trades Cooperative
Vertical: Economic / Blue Collar
Priority: 🔴 Flagship — Write First
The People
- Mike, an electrician who started a cooperative with 12 tradespeople
- Concrete workers, welders, plumbers, HVAC technicians
- A general contractor who hires from the coop
- Homeowners looking for reliable contractors
- The state licensing board
The Old Way
- Mike vouches for everyone personally
- Licenses verified by phone calls to the state
- Insurance certificates faxed back and forth
- Job history tracked in a shared Google Doc
- Reputation spread by word of mouth (and Yelp)
The Breaking Point
- A member’s license lapsed without anyone knowing
- A job goes wrong; insurance coverage is disputed
- The contractor demands proof of qualifications instantly
- A new member has great skills but no local reputation
- Mike spends more time on paperwork than actual work
The New Pattern
- Each tradesperson holds their own credentials (license, insurance, certifications)
- Credentials update automatically when renewed
- Job completion attestations build portable reputation
- Contractors verify qualifications in seconds, not days
- New members bring their credentials with them
What Changed
- Mike coordinates work, doesn’t manage credentials
- Verification is instant and self-service
- Reputation travels with the worker, not the coop
- Compliance is built-in, not bolted-on
- The coop can grow without administrative overhead
This pattern is enabled by KERI.
TODO: Write full narrative