the bower: defeating all social media with a new publishing model.

the bower is a collaborative publishing system for non-linear, evolving thought.

Note:

If you are a developer and are interested in working on this project, have a look at the dev brief here:

https://the-bower.ghost.io/dev-brief-for-the-bower-publishing-platform-build

Or, read on to see what it's all about.

One of the things I noticed when I started using Substack, was the endless lament of "why can't we make money".

So, I took it into my own hands.

the bower is a new kind of publishing system—designed for people who think deeply, write slowly, and want their ideas to grow over time.

Most writing platforms treat ideas like content: publish it once, and it disappears. But thinking doesn’t work that way. It loops, connects, evolves.

Here, writing isn’t static. You don’t just post—you develop it through stages. You can connect to other people’s thinking, trace the path of your own ideas, and publish when it’s ready—not when an algorithm tells you to.

Instead of publishing one finished post, you develop ideas through three phases:

Echoes (small, half-formed ideas or questions)

These are the seeds. Add as many as you like. Pick and choose ideas for inspiration.

Bodies (expanded drafts, frameworks, threads)

When an echo grows—into a working draft, a theory, or a cluster of ideas. This is where development happens.

Systems (complete essays or projects)

Example:

An Echo: “What if memory is spatial, not chronological?”
A Body: an exploration connecting this idea to file structures, poetry, and trauma.
A System: a full essay on “The Architecture of Remembering.”

or

An Echo: “Remote work is burning everyone out, but no one’s admitting it.” A Body: Notes on why remote work creates invisible burnout, the gap between productivity tools and emotional exhaustion. Questions like: “What would a humane remote workflow even look like?” A System:
“The Burnout: How Remote Work Hides the Cost of Output”

Each layer feeds the next. Nothing is ever “done” unless you decide it is.

They’re linked through tags, references, and conceptual trails, so ideas can grow together—across time, writers, and versions.

When anything becomes complete, or ready to be shared - Final essays, frameworks, or articles - they’re still connected to everything that came before.

You can use them again, add, subtract, move, flow.

Reading & Supporting Writers

Writers: here's the fun part.

Once a System is finished, you can mark it as "wanting to publish". These will be funnelled to our public-facing site.

Readers on the site can explore writing in different ways:

• "Chosen For Me" (curated)
• "Loose / Random" (serendipity)
• "Follow Trails" (by tags, ideas, or authors)
• Save favorite pieces or writers
• Track your reading history
• Support writers directly

How Support Works:

• You create a free profile and add a balance (e.g., $25)
• Every time you read a paid piece, a small fee (set by the writer) is sent to them
• Writers choose if a piece is free or paid—some are always open
• Readers can change their balance at any time, there are no lock-ins

There are no ads, no paywalls, and no subscriptions. Just a system that pays writers when you read what they write.

Think of it like Git for thought—except softer. Or Substack but no corporates allowed.

• Every idea exists on a spectrum—not a binary (draft/published)
• Writers can trace how ideas evolve over time
• Work is interlinked and co-authored, not siloed
• Readers can explore thought horizontally, not chronologically

And it:

• Is built for introspection as well as collaboration, not self-branding
• Supports slow thought, not hot takes
• Prioritises knowledge connection, not content visibility
• No paywalls, no algorithms, no gamification

It reminds me of a digital garden, Geocities and the way dinner party conversation flows with old friends.

Except, you get paid for it.

Who Is It For?

All who are tired of writing being reduced to engagement. Publishing should feel like planting, not broadcasting.

The internet needs a place where ideas can take their time.

the bower is that place.

It's for writers, researchers, thinkers, and builders who:

• Want to write in public without the pressure of being “finished”
• Want to explore ideas slowly, deeply, and collaboratively
• Are tired of being flattened by social media feeds and follower counts
• Believe writing should be about thinking, not performing

You don’t need to have a following. You don’t need to post every week.

You just need to want to build ideas—and let them breathe.

Start writing. Start reading. Let your ideas grow.

the bower is currently operating as a Notion prototype.

Want to contribute, test it, or help build it?

Here is the developer brief as a simple .pdf below, but ultimately we are looking for one to two devs who are

Careful and literate in web infrastructure

Comfortable with modular content systems

Curious about publishing tools, not just product

Familiar with CMS or custom writing interfaces

Developer .pdf

We are also looking for writers, editors, researchers who want to test the system or help refine it. Also, thoughtful people and writers interested in community-based thinking.

Drop your email here → email the bower

Join the Discord:

Request the full protocol here → thebower_protocol

See you in the bower.