The document is a presentation by Pieter Hintjens on social architecture and how organizing groups in certain ways can make them 1000x more effective. It discusses basic patterns like engagement by choice, freedom of access, and decentralization that enable smart self-organization. It also covers more advanced patterns, challenges to effectiveness like complexity and inertia, and solutions like simplicity, fluidity and collaboration. Examples given of effective adhocracies include open source communities, radical management, Wikipedia and the Web.

1. cocktail d’expérience informatiques
Genève 3 & 4 octobre 2011
Seconde édition
Auteur Pieter HINTJENS
Track Incubateur
Session Social Architecture
101, Messing with
People for Fun &
Profit

3. Social Architecture 101
Messing with People for Fun & Profit
by
Pieter Hintjens
3 September, 2011
SoftwareAndSilicon.com

4. Questions
● How can we be so stupid (for smart apes)?
● How come the same people, organized
differently, can be 1000x more or less effective?
● What makes the difference?
● Can we understand what's going on?
● Can we use this knowledge for benefit?
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5. Adhocracy
● Smart self-organization around problems
● For 10K-25K generations
● Consistent across domains and geography
● Patterns based on human social instincts
● Widely applicable
● Software is a tangible test-bed
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6. Effectiveness
● Speed with which we can identify problems
● Accuracy of this process
● Cost of this process
● Speed of organization around new problems
● Accuracy, speed, cost of answers
● Cost of failure
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7. Challenges
● Complexity
● Structure
● Inertia
● Limitations of individual minds
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8. Solutions
● Simplicity
● Ad-hoc structure
● Fluidity
● Collaboration
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9. Basic Patterns
● Impossible mission
● Engagement by choice
● Freedom of access
● Weak or no group identity
● Well-written rules
● Fair authority
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10. Basic Patterns
● Space for conflict
● Freedom to choose tasks
● Decentralization = diversity
● Open and transparent
● Free workspaces
● Remixable knowledge
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11. Advanced Patterns
● Regular structure = scalability
● Smooth learning curve = growth
● Measurable success
● Competition
● Clear enemy
● Sense of humour
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12. Identity
● Real names vs. forced anonymous
● Identity hierarchy
● Meritocratic ranking
● Metrics for success
● Controlling spammers and trolls
● Personal ownership
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13. Core Architecture Process
● Define a compelling mission
● Create structures for collaboration
● Invest in core 'seed' product
● Feed structures with short term problems
● Create competition for status
● Promote most active participants
● Develop codes for knowledge sharing
● Act as benevolent dictator
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14. Less is More
● Do the least that probably works
● Perfection precludes participation
● Use free cloud services
● Use existing legal frameworks
● Power structures are liquid cement
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15. Applications & Examples
● Open source communities
● “Radical management”
● Political flash crowds (not movements)
● Science (human genome project)
● Wikipedia
● The Web in general
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16. Next Steps
● Read the book & think about it
● Tweet about it before lunchtime
● Apply to the groups you're involved in
● Use for your own new groups
● Thank you for being here!
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