Kalashnikov Principle

Definition

The Kalashnikov Principle is named for a quote frequently attributed to Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the AK-47 rifle;

"Before attempting to create something new, it is vital to have a good appreciation of everything that already exists in this field."

Discussion

Danyl Strype:

"When thinking about starting a new commons project, it's worth following the Kalashnikov Principle. First do a thorough review of everything even vaguely similar that's already been tried. Write up a document listing them all, with a brief description, and explaining why joining them instead isn't a better use of time and energy (a great example is on the wiki for SnowDrift Co-op's crowdfunding platform). If having done this, prospective founders still think a new project is required, they can forge ahead with a better sense of what the pitfalls are, and how they plan to avoid falling into them.

Starting a new community-led development project from scratch takes a huge amount of effort. Digital commons developers, in particular, are often accused of 'reinventing the wheel'. Starting a new project, when it may have been more helpful - and helped them move faster toward their own goals - to contribute to an existing project working on roughly the same thing. Which could then have gained fresh energy, evolved in new directions, and gained more mindshare, all for a fraction of the effort required to start a new project.

To ensure the time and energy we put into developing the commons is used efficiently, it's important to avoid this. Especially considering most new projects are abandoned before they produce anything. Or worse, stall and linger on as zombie projects, producing nothing useful, but cluttering up the search space, and making it harder for people to find the projects that are making progress."

Danyl Strype, 2026-03-07