By Michael, Founder of DeReticular & Biz Builder Mike
For five years, we at DeReticular have been on a mission, a crusade even, to bring the future to the doorsteps of rural America. We envisioned Decentralized Public Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) transforming communities that have been overlooked and underserved. We poured our hearts, souls, and countless hours into designing mesh networks and setting up agricultural tech, only to be met with fear and rejection. Time and again, we were run out of town, labeled as purveyors of “bad AI” and the “devil’s blockchain.” After the latest eviction, with my partners Ramona, the Redhead, and Chloe, I found myself homeless once again, and our company was on the brink of collapse.
It was in that moment of despair that I remembered the story of Jensen Huang and Nvidia. Before co-founding the company that would revolutionize computing, Huang worked with CPUs. Nvidia’s first major product, the NV1, was a commercial failure, pushing the company to the edge of bankruptcy. They were forced to lay off half their staff and faced the very real possibility of closing their doors for good. Their unofficial motto became, “Our company is 30 days from going out of business.”
But they didn’t give up. They pivoted. They took what they had learned from their failures and invented the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) in 1999. This single innovation not only saved the company but redefined the entire tech landscape, creating the modern PC gaming market and powering the AI revolution we see today. Nvidia effectively closed its doors on one business model and opened them the next day to a future they had created.
That story resonated with me. I realized we were in our own “30 days from going out of business” moment. You can’t sail today’s boat on yesterday’s wind. The lesson from Jensen was clear: use what you’ve learned to start from scratch and build something different. And that is precisely what we did.
A New Model: Attraction Over Imposition
Ramona and I have been kicked out for the last time. Our old model of trying to convince communities to adopt our vision is dead. Our new model is based on attraction. We are building an AI-native platform to serve as the Rural Infrastructure Operating System, and we’re doing it by bringing the infrastructure directly to the communities.
We are now deploying AI Clusters of 1,000 devices each into rural areas. This isn’t just about providing internet; it’s about providing the high-demand hardware necessary for the AI economy. This includes AI-specific hardware, WIFI7, and Meshtastic technology. An investment group provides the $1.25 million needed for each cluster, and in return, they receive 20 percent of the revenue stream generated by the devices for their entire 7- to 10-year lifespan. This model is projected to bring investors to a zero basis on their investment within the first 24 months.
When the devices are not in use by the community, their capabilities are rented out for high-demand tasks like AI training, inference for AI applications, and DePIN compute, storage, and data transfer. This creates a sustainable economic engine that benefits both the investors and the community.
Empowering Communities from the Inside Out
The true beauty of this new model is what it provides to the community at no cost. The AI cluster, paid for by investors, powers a Rural Infrastructure Operating System that offers a suite of services designed to enhance daily life and create economic opportunity. This includes:
- A Municipal Service Directory and Concierge:Â A centralized hub for all local services.
- The Career Garage:Â An initiative featuring “101 Great Businesses You Can Start From Your Garage,” made possible by direct access to powerful AI tools.
- AI-Augmented Municipal Services:Â Including optional court systems and DMV services to increase efficiency and accessibility.
- Integrated Voting System:Â A secure and transparent voting system for municipal and homeowner associations, using Proof of Proximity for identity verification.
- AI-Augmented Commerce:Â Tools and platforms to help local businesses thrive in the digital age.
Rural America is on the verge of becoming better connected than many big cities, precisely because there are no entrenched incumbent technologies to displace. We are building from a clean slate.
The DeReticular Academy: Fostering Local Innovation
This revolution starts with education. The DeReticular Academy is the cornerstone of our new approach. We will host 4-day immersive events where we tackle a specific problem within a community. Participants will learn to create an application to solve that problem, and they will go home fully equipped to start their own native AI company. We are not just building infrastructure; we are building a new generation of entrepreneurs.
1. The Resilient Beginning
We have learned our lessons, paid our dues, and faced our near-death experience. Like Nvidia, we have pivoted. We are no longer asking for permission. We are creating a reality so compelling that communities will be drawn to it. The future of rural America is bright, connected, and intelligent.
Stay hungry, Biz Builders. The innovation is just beginning.