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<p>This is not mere theory. Smartup Zero is a real-time experiment in building a totally new kind of digital organization—one designed from the ground up to fix the system misalignments holding back progress on the SDGs. Here we present the core architecture of a Smartup.</p>
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<detailsclass="tip">
<summary>just give me the abstract</summary>
<p>The Smartup Hypothese is a set of rules, processes, workflows and tools that together form an operation system designed to have large group of people work together efficiently, transparant and mission-driven on tools that should help people drive the SDG’s forward. In essence we are trying to build a better toolkit for future generations. The operation system is described below as a living oranganism. We’ll dive in it’s it’s natural habitat, it’s anatomy, it’s metabolism and In a Smartup, “citizens” work collaboratively and interchangeably on ideas that have the potential to break old paradigms and show new ways forward. It is an organization designed to create tools for people to work both on and within their communities.</p>
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<h2id="the-architecture-of-a-smartup"><spanclass="twemoji"><svgxmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"viewBox="0 0 24 24"><pathd="M21 16.5c0 .38-.21.71-.53.88l-7.9 4.44c-.16.12-.36.18-.57.18s-.41-.06-.57-.18l-7.9-4.44A.99.99 0 0 1 3 16.5v-9c0-.38.21-.71.53-.88l7.9-4.44c.16-.12.36-.18.57-.18s.41.06.57.18l7.9 4.44c.32.17.53.5.53.88zM12 4.15 6.04 7.5 12 10.85l5.96-3.35zM5 15.91l6 3.38v-6.71L5 9.21zm14 0v-6.7l-6 3.37v6.71z"/></svg></span> The Architecture of a Smartup<aclass="headerlink"href="#the-architecture-of-a-smartup"title="Permanent link">¶</a></h2>
<p><strong>Definition:</strong><br/>
A Smartup creates trustworthy digital tools that help people—and the communities they form—become more resilient, resourceful, and effective in advancing the SDGs.</p>
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<p><strong>At its core, every Smartup is built like an institute: a layered foundation and three strong pillars.</strong></p>
Every tool we create is grounded in facts, evidence, and tested knowledge. The problems we tackle are science-proven, and solutions must stand up to real-world scrutiny.</li>
<li><strong>Democracy:</strong><br/>
Our process and decisions are open and participatory. Everyone has a voice and a vote; no gated hierarchies, no closed rooms.</li>
<li><strong>Collective IQ:</strong><br/>
We are smarter together. All skills and ideas are pooled so we solve more, faster, and with better results than any one person or small group could alone.</li>
</ul>
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<h3id="the-three-pillars">The Three Pillars<aclass="headerlink"href="#the-three-pillars"title="Permanent link">¶</a></h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Collective Ownership</strong><br/>
Everyone who joins and contributes is an equal owner. There are no founders, investors, or external shareholders—just people “in it” together.</li>
All work and effort are shared—teams build, improve, and sustain everything the Smartup delivers. Value is earned by doing, not by owning capital.</li>
<li><strong>Collective Governance</strong><br/>
Decision-making and oversight are for everyone. Every contributor holds both rights and responsibilities for what the Smartup does and how it does it.</li>
</ul>
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<divclass="admonition info">
<pclass="admonition-title">Why this design?</p>
<p>This layered architecture reshapes what an organization can do. Built on science, democracy, and collective intelligence, a Smartup’s three pillars make sure trust, effort, and stewardship are truly shared—laying a robust foundation for all digital tools that follow.</p>
<p>Every Smartup grows through four clear, community-driven phases. This rhythm—from first idea to real-world launch—ensures that only validated, sustainable, and well-governed solutions reach the market. At every step, the decision to move forward belongs to the entire Smartup community.</p>
<p>The journey begins with an idea—and a question for the world:<br/>
<strong>“Does anyone else truly want and need this?”</strong></p>
<p>In the Validation phase, entrepreneurs and early adaptors rally a vibrant, organized community around a solution. Success here means showing real traction, both in people and resources. Only once a critical mass is reached, and the community approves, can the project move on.</p>
<p><strong>Thresholds to advance:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>[ ] Financial target reached (crowdfunding or community pooling)</li>
<li>[ ] Official Smartup Business Plan and initial design ready</li>
<p>Now the blueprint is created. Contributors across the Smartup bring forward concepts, plans, and architecture—answering:<br/>
<strong>“How can we build this so it’s sustainable, scalable, and efficient?”</strong></p>
<p>Throughout this phase, all designs are open for input and peer review. A Science Team performs a rigorous check before any development work begins.</p>
<p><strong>Thresholds to move forward:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>[ ] Financial target reached</li>
<li>[ ] Design Blueprint delivered</li>
<li>[ ] Scientific review by the Science Team passed</li>
<p>The community shifts from design thinking to hands-on creation. Together, everyone works on an MVP (Minimal Viable Product), testing and improving it with real citizens. Only after successful beta testing and another scientific + market review is the full version prepared for launch.</p>
<p>Final step: build the team and structure to take the product or service to market. An executive team is chosen from the community. Legal, marketing, and business pieces are set—always with scientific validation and open community input.</p>
<p><strong>Thresholds for market launch:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>[ ] Financial target reached</li>
<li>[ ] Executive team formed</li>
<li>[ ] Final Business Plan and market assessment ready</li>
<li>[ ] Majority community vote: ready for launch!</li>
</ul>
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<preclass="mermaid"><code>flowchart LR
V[Validation - idea, community, seed funding]
D[Design - blueprint, scientific review]
P[Production - MVP, beta test, v1.0]
O[Organization - exec team, legal, market ready]
V --> D --> P --> O</code></pre>
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<divclass="admonition tip">
<pclass="admonition-title">Why these phases?</p>
<p>Each phase ensures what’s being built is wanted, sound, and fully owned by the community before advancing. Built-in checkpoints—majority votes and scientific reviews—keep momentum aligned with trust and quality at every step.</p>
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<p><strong>Next:</strong> See how Smartup teams, roles, and workflows make collective building a reality.</p>
<p><ahref="#"><spanclass="twemoji"><svgxmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"viewBox="0 0 24 24"><pathd="M4 15V9h8V4.16L19.84 12 12 19.84V15z"/></svg></span> Continue to Anatomy & Workflows</a></p>
<p>To create real, relevant technology, a Smartup can’t just be a loose network—it needs to be a productive, living system. But if nobody has absolute power—not even a CEO—how do decisions get made and meaningful work actually happen? The answer: the Smartup is a new kind of “organism” built for collective intelligence and self-organization.</p>
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<h3id="the-anatomy-of-a-smartup">The Anatomy of a Smartup<aclass="headerlink"href="#the-anatomy-of-a-smartup"title="Permanent link">¶</a></h3>
<p>If you could slice a Smartup open, you’d see something that looks more like a living ecosystem than a traditional corporate pyramid. Instead of strict hierarchy and top-down control, power and responsibility are distributed through a holacratic structure: <strong>nested groups, each supporting the whole.</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>“Holacracy is a new way of structuring and running your organization that replaces the conventional management hierarchy. Instead of top-down, power is distributed throughout, giving individuals and teams more freedom to self-manage, while staying aligned to the organization’s purpose.”</em><br/>
— holacracy.org</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In a Smartup, these circles are groups—each one crucial for the whole, each one depending on—and empowering—the next.</p>
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<h3id="the-six-groups-of-productivity"><spanclass="twemoji"><svgxmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"viewBox="0 0 24 24"><pathd="M12 0 3 7l1.63 1.27L12 14l7.36-5.73L21 7zm7.37 10.73L12 16.47l-7.38-5.73L3 12l9 7 9-7zm0 5L12 21.47l-7.38-5.73L3 17l9 7 9-7z"/></svg></span> The Six Groups of Productivity<aclass="headerlink"href="#the-six-groups-of-productivity"title="Permanent link">¶</a></h3>
<p>A Smartup is designed so that all ownership, work, and governance flow through six nested groups.<br/>
Think of them as a set of Russian dolls: each group contains smaller subgroups, but all belong to the “mother” at the center, the General Forum.</p>
<h4id="1-general-forum"><strong>1. General Forum</strong><aclass="headerlink"href="#1-general-forum"title="Permanent link">¶</a></h4>
<p>The heart of the Smartup.<br/>
All citizens (owners) gather here to discuss, propose, vote, and oversee everything. It’s the public square for collective direction, accountability, and signals of community health.</p>
In each team, citizens apply for roles that fit their talents—UX designer, developer, communicator, and more. Roles define responsibility and open access to key projects.</p>
Teams and roles progress by setting and accomplishing objectives—specific outcomes or missions, like “Create the Android app front-end.” Each objective may need several roles.</p>
Tasks are where real, measurable progress happens. Each one gets done by a worker (or workers), supported by an assistant, and tracked by a bot. Do the task, contribute value, get rewarded—the building blocks of a productive Smartup.</p>
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<divclass="admonition tip">
<pclass="admonition-title">Why this structure?</p>
<p>By distributing power and responsibility through these six groups, a Smartup stays productive, resilient, and transparent—even as it grows. No single person or “boss” controls the system; instead, everyone is a citizen, worker, and caretaker. The system itself keeps everything aligned and moving forward.</p>
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<p><ahref="#"><spanclass="twemoji"><svgxmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"viewBox="0 0 24 24"><pathd="M4 15V9h8V4.16L19.84 12 12 19.84V15z"/></svg></span> Continue to the Metabolism (ADM Triangle)</a></p>
Society Of Solutions is a global open cooperative running as an unincorporated alliance and transparently funded via <ahref="https://opencollective.com"target="_blank"rel="noopener">Open Collective</a>.
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