How can you get people to share with each other even when they're not inclined to? Think like an ecosystem.

1. Think Like an Ecosystem
Designing for Adverse Collaboration
Ned Gulley
YConf, June 2017

2. Collaboration is HUGE

4. Life
Proteins
Amino Acids
Amines
Nitrogen

5. Life
Proteins
Amino Acids
Amines
Nitrogen

6. Life
Proteins
Amino Acids
Amines – NH2
Nitrogen – N2

7. 100 meters
200 atmospheres
400 degrees Celsius

8. 10 nanometers
1 atmosphere
20 degrees Celsius
100 meters
200 atmospheres
400 degrees Celsius

11. A Programming Contest

12. leaders
new entries
ned.
fcn f(x)
...
1 michael
2 alice
3 bob
4 ned
bob.
fcn f(x)
...
michael.
fcn f(x)
...
alice.
fcn f(x)
...
Michael wins!
Everyone else is a
loser who wasted
their time...

13. Another Programming Contest

14. leaders
leaders
1 michael
2 alice
3 bob michael.
fcn f(x)
...
view entry
new entry
ned.
fcn f(x)
...
1 ned
2 michael
3 alice
4 bob
Ned takes
the lead!

16. • Entries are scored, ranked, and
displayed immediately
• Code and score are visible at all times
• Anyone can modify anyone else's
code and resubmit it as their own

17. • Entries are scored, ranked, and
displayed immediately
• Code and score are visible at all times
• Anyone can modify anyone else's
code and resubmit it as their own
See it
Steal it
Transparency

18. • Entries are scored, ranked, and
displayed immediately
• Code and score are visible at all times
• Anyone can modify anyone else's
code and resubmit it as their own
See it
Steal it
Fork it
Transparency, Generosity

19. Which is Likely to Be Better?

20. Better
Time
Wednesday Monday

22. Code Market Share by Line Count

24. Think like an ecosystem
• Define value
• Lower barriers to entry
• Reward participation across scale
• Reward participation across modes
• Self-interest motivates sharing

25. Define value

26. Protein folding

27. Low barrier to entry

28. Big changes…
function f = fb(n)
a = [0 1; 1 1]^n;
f = a(2);
function f = fb(n)
if n > 2
f = fb(n-1) + fb(n-2);
else
f = 1;
end
Generating the nth Fibonacci number: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ...

29. Small changes…
...
y = [1 2 3]
...
...
y = 1:3;
...

30. Reward participation across scale

31. Design attentive systems
Celebrate your micro-heros!
• µ-Contribution
• µ-Attribution
• µ-Fame!

32. Design attentive systems
Celebrate your micro-heros!
• µ-Contribution
• µ-Attribution
• µ-Fame!

35. First use
of conv
First
leader
with conv

36. Reward participation across modes

37. Different modes for different folks
• Code
• Refactored code
• Comments & documentation
• Tests
• Questions & suggestions

38. Obfuscation
zzz1018=zzz1018+zzz1032;for zzz1069=2:zzz1014
if zzz1048(zzz1018),zzz1041(zzz1018)=zzz1018;
zzz1053=zzz1018-zzz1032;
if zzz1048(zzz1053)==zzz1048(zzz1018)
zzz1041(zzz1053)=zzz1018;end
…

39. The contest immune system

40. Self-interest motivates sharing

41. Why Share My Good Ideas?
?

42. ?
!

43. ?
!
!
!
!
!

47. We are as micro-organisms.
We may as well get good at it.