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Someone on LinkedIn told me that BlueSky will fail because it’s a decentralized app, and decentralization makes it impossible to monetize and survive.

Well, my friends, that is not just a lie—it’s a dangerous lie. If you believe it and you’re hoping to start a tech company, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Let me explain.

First, let’s deconstruct the lie. The tech industry loves to push this myth: that a lone visionary comes along, develops a disruptive idea, and claims a massive chunk of “real estate” while everyone else, operating in less efficient industries, just rolls over and surrenders. Supposedly, this innovative company monopolizes an industry with its unique technology and centralization. But here’s the truth: not a single major internet company has succeeded without relying on decentralized technologies.

What do I mean by that? Let’s start with the internet itself. The internet doesn’t run on one platform owned by a single entity. It’s decentralized by design. Every website you access relies on a technology called Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). That “http” you see at the beginning of every URL? It’s a decentralized web technology. The web wouldn’t exist without it.

And email? Email isn’t owned by one company either. It’s not a single platform. It’s inherently decentralized. Google has Gmail, Microsoft has Outlook, ProtonMail exists—and they all interact because email operates on decentralized protocols.

But wait, you might say, what about Twitter? Didn’t it succeed by centralizing everything? Well, no. When Twitter started, it didn’t just use the web and email; it also relied on another decentralized technology: Short Message Service (SMS). That’s right—text messaging. In fact, Twitter’s original 140-character limit was based on SMS character constraints. Twitter’s success wasn’t because it was centralized; it thrived because it built on decentralized services.

What about Meta? Meta has also relied heavily on decentralized services. In fact, Meta has embraced ActivityPub, the same decentralized protocol powering Mastodon, Pixelfed, and other platforms, for its Threads app. Why? Because even Meta knows that to compete with Twitter, it needs to piggyback on decentralized technologies.

Now, let’s address a common question: why has the web become so centralized? Why are people using fewer websites and gravitating toward massive platforms? Here’s the answer: companies like Meta and Twitter didn’t start out as centralized giants. They built their success on decentralized technologies. But once they grew powerful, they “kicked the ladder down.” They closed off their platforms, shut out competition, and consolidated power.

For example, Twitter used to have an open API that anyone could access. Then Elon Musk arrived, said, “I got mine,” and cut off API access. Meta’s doing something similar with Threads—they’re exploiting decentralized technologies to grow but will likely pull the same move once they’ve established dominance. Zuckerberg has a long history of shutting down services that no longer serve his interests. Just recently, Meta ended its fact-checking services on Facebook and Instagram.

So, those of us using ActivityPub services? We don’t exactly trust Meta.

Now, what does this mean for startup founders? I’m not saying you should copy Meta or Twitter’s playbook—don’t exploit decentralization only to turn around and crush it. That kind of greed has consequences.

Just ask Microsoft. They tried to kill Linux, and now Linux powers almost everything: servers, game consoles, car dashboards—you name it. Meanwhile, Windows only claims the desktop market which is a tiny fraction of the overall OS market—and its hold there is threatened.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram’s centralization is the same story: the open web versus proprietary platforms, Linux versus Windows. And let me tell you: centralization doesn’t win in the long run.

For entrepreneurs, this means decentralization is your ally. If you want to build a new social media app, using ActivityPub is a fantastic idea. Much of the infrastructure is already in place. ActivityPub handles publishing, streaming, communication, and the social graph—all things you don’t have to build from scratch. Even better, hundreds of millions of people are already using it.

The point here is simple: don’t believe the myth of the lone visionary who creates a single, centralized, world-changing product. That’s not how tech works. Real innovation happens because hundreds, if not thousands, of developers build on open protocols and each other’s work. Everyone is standing on the shoulders of giants. Progress isn’t one big leap—it’s a series of small steps.

If you want to succeed in tech, embrace decentralization. It’s your friend.

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