Episode 012 - Patterns for Decentralized Organizing with Richard Bartlett of The Hum
Apr 22, 2022
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Richard Bartlett, co-founder of Loomio and The Hum, discusses patterns for decentralized organizing. Topics include his experience with decentralized organizing from the punk scene and Occupy Wellington, practical advice on organizing in DAOs and cooperatives, and the challenges faced by decentralized organizations. The conversation also touches on culture, inequality, spirituality, welfare state differences, and the use of DAOs for scaling in networked digital societies.
Prioritizing the vibe, fostering strong relationships and mutual trust, creates a positive and supportive working culture in decentralized organizations.
Decentralized organizing scales through permissionless replication and a community-driven approach, challenging the traditional hierarchical scaling model.
DAOs can adopt principles of partnership, autonomy, and accountability to create vibrant and inclusive communities within decentralized structures.
Deep dives
Prioritizing the Vibe and Iterative Approaches to Organizing
A key principle in decentralized organizing is prioritizing the vibe, which refers to the social fabric, connection, and sense of belonging within the organization. By fostering strong relationships, mutual trust, and respect, organizations can create a working culture that feels positive and supportive. Another important principle is iterative approaches to organizing, similar to agile product development. This involves continuously experimenting, reviewing, and refining organizational structures, processes, and policies. By iterating and adapting to challenges, organizations can ensure flexibility, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.
Scaling Decentralized Organizations
Decentralized organizing can scale, but not in the traditional sense. It involves replication rather than a hierarchical scaling model. Occupy Wall Street, for example, had simultaneous actions in thousands of cities by replicating ideas and actions. This type of scaling relies on permissionless replication and a community-driven approach. Additionally, as information technology advances and the cost of information flow decreases, decentralized models become more efficient and effective than traditional hierarchical institutions. However, scaling decentralized organizations also requires addressing cultural and psychological factors, such as challenging the domination-submission paradigm, which has been deeply ingrained in society. Overcoming trauma and conditioning from previous hierarchical systems is crucial for successful scaling of decentralized organizations.
The Potential of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
Within the realm of DAOs, there is significant potential for implementing the principles and design patterns developed by Richard Bartlett. While many DAOs are still in the early stages, some are already incorporating decentralized organizational practices. Sub-DAOs, for example, allow for smaller teams or groups to operate autonomously within a larger DAO, enabling more efficient decision-making and greater flexibility. By adopting principles of partnership, autonomy, accountability, and iterative improvement, DAOs can create vibrant, engaged, and effective communities within their decentralized structures. This approach has the potential to manage large treasuries and scale to handle billion-dollar projects with a focus on inclusivity, transparency, and participatory decision-making.
The Importance of Learning from the Past and Design Patterns in Decentralized Organizing
One key point discussed in the podcast is the importance of learning from past patterns and adopting design patterns in decentralized organizing. While some projects in the Web3 space tend to reinvent the wheel and start from scratch, it is highlighted that there are benefits in leveraging time-honored patterns and structures. The podcast mentions Noisaskeld as an example of a project that is effectively taking this approach, studying previous organizational patterns, adapting them, and applying them to networked digital societies. Noisaskeld offers design patterns that go beyond simple token-based structures, providing features like capped proposals and organizational patterns that aid in scaling decision-making.
The Balance Between Standardization and Embracing Human Relationships in DAOs
The podcast delves into the competing mindsets in Web3 when it comes to organizing. One mindset emphasizes standardization, making workers fungible, and treating humans as a feature rather than emphasizing relationships and differences. However, it is argued that investing in good relationships and prioritizing human dynamics can lead to more efficient delegation and decision-making in DAOs. The discussion highlights the importance of psychological safety, mutual respect, and building trust among team members. It is mentioned that a culture of honesty, openness, and genuine communication is essential for effective iteration and development. The combination of a culture that values relationships and web3's ownership structures and incentive systems can create a better way to work and organize.
In this episode we speak with Richard Bartlett, co-founder of the tech cooperative Loomio, and The Hum, management consultancy for organizations without managers. In the conversation, we cover his history and experience with patterns of decentralized organizing picked up from the punk scene and Occupy Wellington in the early 2010s, what he learned from those patterns, and how he co-created new organizational structures that put them into play with his co-founders and fellow workers. This episode will be particularly interesting for listeners who want practical advice on how to organize in DAOs, cooperatives, and other organizational forms that seek to work in non-hierarchical ways, but still get meaningful work done.
