The Zeitgeist
philosophy
At Zeitgeist, we believe truth is the ally of progress.
The world is saturated with information. But with this fortune comes a dilemma: It’s hard to know which information is true. Whether we like it or not, all information is created by individuals, and individuals are inherently biased. But short of a crystal ball, how does one make decisions informed not by ego but by truth?
The answer lies in data. Time and again, data has proven there is wisdom in crowds— that the many are smarter than the few, and can more precisely predict true outcomes. When a crowd is incentivized to share their predictions by betting on what they think will happen (not what they want to happen), bias is eliminated, and the truth follows. This method of trading, where people bet on outcomes, is called prediction markets.
At Zeitgeist, we use prediction markets to employ a governance model called futarchy, where participants bet on the success of proposed decisions, then the winning decisions are implemented. Unlike traditional governance structures where votes don’t always directly influence outcomes, futarchy ensures that when a decision is deemed likely to succeed, it’s put into practice — without the influence of bias.
Zeitgeist gives people “skin in the game” — a vested interest in the outcome of a decision. Because they don’t just stand to profit from betting on the truth… they stand to build a better, more equitable society because of it.