Notes on trust
How trust is built
Hi, I’m Amitay Cohen. I’m interested in trust and how to build it — specifically, how to increase trust in closed systems, from small circles to large communities. From nations to fundamental building blocks like cells, molecules, and atoms.
1Principles
Trust grows when five conditions hold. Each one is a question you can ask of any system.
Interest Alignment
How well are the players' interests aligned?
Predictability
How predictable are the players' behaviors?
Clarity
How clear are the players' intentions?
Risk-Reward
What's the balance between rewards and risks for each player?
Repeated Interaction
How frequently do players interact?
2Inspirations
Structures, products, and people that already solve part of the problem.
2.1Structures
- Zero Trust ArchitectureCybersecurity
Never assume trust — continuously verify users and devices instead.
- Market EquilibriumEconomics
The state where supply and demand are balanced.
- Borders RulesIdea
Gates that admit only trusted entities into a system.
Restraint as a costly signal of fairness.
- Zero-Knowledge ProofsCryptography
Prove something is true without revealing how you know it.
2.2Products
- X's Community NotesSocial Media
Notes publish only when opposing viewpoints agree.
- NewsGuardMedia Trust
Human-rated news trust scores with transparent criteria.
2.3People
- Michael LevinBiology
Biologist studying how cells cooperate to form organisms.
- Ram RachumAI Agents
Solves AI safety by teaching agents cooperation and reciprocity.
3Reading
- Play Long-term Games With Long-term PeopleNaval Ravikant
- Skin in the GameNassim Nicholas Taleb
- The Market for LemonsGeorge Akerlof
- Impact of Committed Minorities: Unveiling Critical Mass of CooperationZhixue He, and more