Hello.

If you’re like “What the hell is TAO and why is this in my inbox,” I get it.

Together As One (TAO) Social was a bold, volunteer-driven project with the vision of building a global platform that truly belonged to we, the people. 

If you’re receiving this email, at some point you believed in that vision. 

So…what happened to all that? 

In this email you’ll find: An explanation, a sincere apology, a really cool website, and a link to the open source code.

I owe you all of those things.

Volunteer Projects are Like Trying to Milk Cats

In the past decade I’ve touched close to 100 businesses and startups between consulting and working at:

• A branding agency 

• A RevOps agency

• A venture studio

I’ve seen founders cry, scream, and eat Lunchables at 3am.

But volunteer projects? Different animal entirely. 

Everyone knows the expression “herding cats.”

Organizing volunteers is like trying to milk cats. 🙃

And contrary to what Greg Focker would have you believe, it’s nigh impossible:

In the beginning, it all seemed very possible:

• Hundreds of thousands of views across videos

• 20,000 people signed up in the first six weeks

• Thousands jumped into the Reddit

• Hundreds said they wanted to help

But talk is easy is easy. Building is hard. 

The reality panned out like this:

• I connected with 50+ devs who volunteered→ 2 wrote code 

• ~$10k was pledged to the Substack → $2k followed through

• People enthusiastically committed —> and then yeeted into the void 

Still, our small fellowship marched on.

 In April the tech team told me:

So I told you:

Then six weeks passed…

Then three months…

Then a Lord of the Rings extended edition runtime later…

Still no finish line.

What I should’ve done at that point:

• Explain

• Apologize

• Not stare silently into the existential abyss, hoping to be rescued by Gandalf and the Great Eagles.

And to be fair: I was basically bedridden from mid-summer to October. Doctors thought it might be cancer. Turns out it was tapeworms + giardia + mold exposure + borderline-autoimmune (10/10 do not recommend).

I’d say “the past 18 months have been stressful beyond explanation” but that would be an excuse.

Because let’s be real. I could have sent this email then. I was dying in bed, not on the summit of Mount Doom without Wi-Fi.

I Am Sorry.

Anyone who knows me in real life knows I’m not shy about owning my mistakes in life. I’m usually very quick to take accountability and make amends. 

@humanexperienced

💓👋

But I genuinely kept thinking:

• If we just get one more developer…

• If we can just finish out these three features…

• Can we vibecode it…?

But the truth started to form like a migraine. 

I wanted us to prove him wrong.

I deeply, truly wanted to believe that a bunch of internet strangers could be moved to build something for the highest good of all involved…even if there was little personal gain involved.

I wanted to believe that people will show up for no other reason than the belief that the future of our world can be bright if we shape it.

If enough of us show up and light it up.

Turns out? People are busy. Late-stage capitalism exists. 

And greybeards earn their silver for a reason. 

Next Steps  

Things you may want to know:

1. 🧑‍💻 Code is open-sourced → Do whatever the heck you want with it
   

2. 💸 Substack pledges OFF → $$$ went to SaaS costs (no margaritas were purchased)
   

3. 🌐 The vision lives on → New website exists and looks shmexy

^ Yes, I can hold a vision; craft compelling brands, websites, messaging, campaigns; and drive traffic like Sedona on the motherfreaking 4th of July.

No, I cannot single-handedly build a decentralized social platform powered by willpower, caffeine, and noble delusion.

Lessons Learned (so you don’t have to)

• Do not beat the drum for a product that hasn’t been built yet
  

• Do not put your face on said nonexistent product
  

• Do not assume strangers from Discord will build the internet’s future infrastructure for free
  

• Volunteer projects contain:
  

  • 🥇 Brilliant & generous angels (thanks to those who showed up and contributed)
    

  • 👿 Chaotic goblins
    

  • 🧘‍♂️ Some seriously bad actors (I’m a professional, so I’ll keep those stories quiet)

Concluding Thoughts 

TAO was never supposed to be a startup. Or a nonprofit.

It was meant to be a true digital commons. Built by the people, for the people, with the people.

I still believe in that vision.

I still don’t think anyone else is going to build it. 

And I still believe we everyday people deserve a platform that isn’t owned by billionaires, data vampires, or political agendas.

Just a space that exists in celebration of the almighty human spirit dwelling in every corner of our world.

One day, with proper funding, a real team, and less cat-milking…TAO may rise again.

But this?
This ain’t how big things get built.

Warmly (and humbly),
Chiara-Scuro Burns
Clearlight Studios
Human | Former Cat-Milker | Growth Strategist & Business Architect