## :material-cube-outline: The Architecture of a Smartup **Definition:** A Smartup creates trustworthy digital tools that help people—and the communities they form—become more resilient, resourceful, and effective in advancing the SDGs. --- **At its core, every Smartup is built like a rocket: a solid foundation, three structural pillars, and a sharp point of execution.** ![Centered image](../assets/diagrams/smartupinstitute.png){ style="display: block; margin: 0 auto; width: 200px;" } --- ### The Foundation (Our Fuel) - **Science:** 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. - **Democracy:** Our process and decisions are open and participatory. Everyone has a voice and a vote; no gated hierarchies, no closed rooms. - **Collective IQ:** 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. --- ### The Three Pillars (Our Structure) - **Collective Ownership** Everyone who joins and contributes is an equal owner. There are no founders, investors, or external shareholders—just people "in it" together. --8<-- "_snippets/smartup-ownership-meaning.md" --8<-- "_snippets/the-book-of-owners.md" - **Collective Craftsmanship** All work and effort are shared—teams build, improve, and sustain everything the Smartup delivers. Value is earned by doing, not by owning capital. - **Collective Governance** Decision-making and oversight are for everyone. Every contributor holds both rights and responsibilities for what the Smartup does and how it does it. --- ### The Nose Cone (Our Edge) - **Military Execution** While we are democratic in nature, we are military in execution. When the General Forum sets a target, the Workplace hits it with precision. Clear chains of command, proven processes like the buddy system, and professional discipline ensure we don't just talk about change—we deliver it. --- !!! info "Why a rocket?" A Smartup is a vehicle for change. The foundation powers us, the pillars keep us stable, and military execution cuts through obstacles. Together, these elements create an organization that can actually reach its destination: a world where digital tools serve collective human needs. --- ## :material-tree: The 4 Phases of Creation - The Habitat of a Smartup !!! info "What is this?" 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.
- :material-stamper:{ .lg .middle } **Phase 1: Validation** --- **The Question:** *"Does the world needs this??"* Entrepreneurs and early adopters rally a vibrant community around a solution, showing real traction in people and resources. **Thresholds to advance:** - [ ] Financial target reached - [ ] Official Smartup Business Plan ready - [ ] Leadership Team formed - [ ] Majority community vote [:material-arrow-right: Learn more](#) - :simple-materialdesignicons:{ .lg .middle } **Phase 2: Design** --- **The Question:** *"How can we build this sustainably and efficiently?"* Contributors create blueprints through open collaboration, with rigorous scientific review before development begins. **Thresholds to advance:** - [ ] Financial target reached - [ ] Design Blueprint delivered - [ ] Science Team review passed - [ ] Majority community vote [:material-arrow-right: Learn more](#) - :material-file-code:{ .lg .middle } **Phase 3: Production** --- **The Focus:** *From thinking to building* The community creates an MVP, tests with real citizens, and prepares for launch after scientific and market validation. **Thresholds to advance:** - [ ] Financial target reached - [ ] Version 1.0 beta tested - [ ] Market assessment complete - [ ] Majority community vote [:material-arrow-right: Learn more](#) - :fontawesome-solid-magnifying-glass-chart:{ .lg .middle } **Phase 4: Organization** --- **The Goal:** *Ready for the world* Build the team and structure for market launch. Executive team chosen, legal framework set, always with community validation. **Thresholds for launch:** - [ ] Financial target reached - [ ] Executive team formed - [ ] Final Business Plan ready - [ ] Majority community vote [:material-arrow-right: Learn more](#)
!!! tip "The Common Thread" Notice how each phase requires four key elements: 1. **Financial sustainability** - Resources to continue 2. **Concrete deliverable** - Something tangible produced 3. **Expert validation** - Scientific or market review 4. **Democratic approval** - The community decides This ensures what's being built is wanted, sound, and fully owned by the community at every step. ```mermaid flowchart LR V[🔍 Validation
Prove demand] D[📐 Design
Create blueprint] P[🔨 Production
Build & test] O[🚀 Organization
Launch ready] V -.->|Community Vote| D D -.->|Community Vote| P P -.->|Community Vote| O O ==>|To Market!| M[🌍] style V stroke:#ffd23f,stroke-width:3px style D stroke:#ffd23f,stroke-width:3px style P stroke:#ffd23f,stroke-width:3px style O stroke:#ffd23f,stroke-width:3px style M stroke:#8bc34a,stroke-width:3px ``` --- !!! tip "Why these phases?" 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. --- **Next:** See how Smartup teams, roles, and workflows make collective building a reality. [:material-arrow-right-bold: Continue to Anatomy & Workflows](#) --- ## :material-dna: The Smartup Organism !!! info "What is this?" 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. --- ### Democratic by Nature, Military in Execution A Smartup is a unique sociotechnical organism that combines democratic governance with military-precision execution. This hybrid design solves a fundamental challenge: how to maintain collective ownership while actually getting things done. **The Design Principle** **We are democratic where it matters most**: In the General Forum, every citizen has equal voice, equal vote, equal responsibility. Here we decide WHAT we build and WHY—our mission, values, and strategic direction. **We are disciplined where speed matters**: In the Workplace, we apply military-inspired command structures and proven operational processes. Here we decide HOW we build—with clear roles, accountability, and chains of command. !!! warning "Learning from Failed Models" **Pure Democracy Everywhere** = Endless debates, nothing ships **Pure Hierarchy Everywhere** = Mission drift, worker alienation **Our Hybrid** = Collective ownership + Professional execution --- ### Smartup Anatomy 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: **nested groups, each supporting the whole.** > _“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.”_ > — holacracy.org In a Smartup, these circles are groups—each one crucial for the whole, each one depending on—and empowering—the next. --- ## :material-layers-triple: The Six Groups of Productivity A Smartup is designed so that all ownership, work, and governance flow through six nested groups. 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. ![Centered image](../assets/diagrams/the 6 groups of productivity.png){ style="display: block; margin: 0 auto; width: 400px;" }
- :material-forum:{ .lg .middle } **1. General Forum** --- **The heart of the Smartup** All citizens (owners) gather here to discuss, propose, vote, and oversee everything. It's the public square for collective direction and accountability. **Members:** All Smartup owners **Moderated by:** Leadership Team - :material-briefcase:{ .lg .middle } **2. Workplace** --- **The production engine** Citizens with a work license join to build what matters. Here, talk turns into action: plans become teams, teams build real things. **Members:** All workers (colleagues) **Moderated by:** Leadership Team - :material-account-group:{ .lg .middle } **3. Teams** --- **Home base for specialized work** Every worker joins at least one team—design, development, business. Teams focus effort and harness specific skills toward shared goals. **Members:** Workers in same team (teammates) **Moderated by:** Team Captain - :material-card-account-details:{ .lg .middle } **4. Roles** --- **How you contribute** In each team, workers apply for roles that fit their talents—UX designer, developer, communicator. Roles define responsibility and access. **Members:** Workers with same role (peers) **Moderated by:** Team Captain - :material-target:{ .lg .middle } **5. Objectives** --- **What's to be achieved** Teams progress by accomplishing specific missions, like "Create Android app front-end." Each objective unites multiple roles. **Members:** Workers on same objective (squad) **Moderated by:** Mission Leader - :material-checkbox-marked-circle:{ .lg .middle } **6. Tasks** --- **Where work happens** The smallest—and most important—unit. Tasks create measurable progress. Complete task, create value, get rewarded. **Members:** Assigned workers **Moderated by:** Mission Leader
!!! tip "The Nested Structure" Each group lives within the one above it:
- General Forum contains → Workplace
- Workplace contains → Teams
- Teams contain → Roles
- Roles work on → Objectives
- Objectives break into → Tasks
This creates clear accountability chains while maintaining democratic oversight at the top. --- ## :material-triangle: The Metabolism - How a Smartup Lives and Breathes !!! info "What is this?" If the 6 Groups show a Smartup's anatomy (structure), the metabolism shows how it actually functions—how we communicate, make decisions, and get work done through the ADM Triangle system powered by the buddy system. When we examine a Smartup as a living organism, we need to understand not just its structure, but how it sustains itself. Just as a body needs circulation and digestion, a Smartup needs processes for communication, decision-making, and documentation. This is where we discover the ADM Triangle—the metabolic engine that powers every interaction. ### The Buddy System: Never Work Alone At the core of our metabolism lies a simple but powerful principle borrowed from military operations: **you never work alone**. In a Smartup, every task, every decision, every action involves at least two people working in partnership. !!! tip "Why Buddies Matter" The buddy system serves multiple vital functions:
- **Accountability**: Freedom with responsibility
- **Support**: Help when stuck or overwhelmed
- **Quality**: Built-in peer review
- **Learning**: Juniors learn by observing seniors
- **Resilience**: No single point of failure
#### The Learning Loop What makes our buddy system special is that it's designed as a learning mechanism: ```mermaid graph LR J[Junior Role
Defender/Assistant] S[Senior Role
Attacker/Worker] T[Task Execution] L[Learning & Growth] S -->|Performs| T J -->|Observes & Assists| T T -->|Creates| L L -->|Promotes| J J -.->|Becomes| S ``` **The 90/10 Split**: When a task is completed: - Worker (Senior) receives 90% of the budget
- Assistant (Junior) receives 10%
This isn't just payment for monitoring—it's investment in developing the next generation of senior contributors. ### The ADM Triangle: Our Operating System Building on the buddy system, every interaction in a Smartup follows the **Attacker, Defender, Midfielder** (ADM) pattern: ```mermaid graph TD A[Attacker/Senior
Drives action forward] D[Defender/Junior
Learns while ensuring quality] M[Midfielder/Bot
Coordinates & documents] A <--> M D <--> M A -.->|Mentors| D ``` #### How It Works in Practice !!! example "ADM in Action: Task Execution" **Scenario**: A senior developer takes on the task "Deploy emergency mesh network prototype"
1. **Senior Developer (Attacker)**: Implements solution, explains decisions
2. **Junior Developer (Defender)**: Assists, learns patterns, validates effort
3. **Bot (Midfielder)**: Logs activity, manages check-ins
The junior isn't just watching—they're actively learning deployment processes, understanding architectural decisions, and preparing to lead similar tasks in the future. !!! quote "Learning by Doing" "The assistant learns how the worker solves a specific task and gains knowledge and skills. Defenders are literally learning to become seniors." ### Beyond Surveillance: A Learning Organization !!! warning "This Isn't About Control" Traditional organizations use monitoring for compliance and control. In a Smartup, the buddy system creates a learning environment where:
- Juniors gain real experience with safety nets
- Seniors develop mentoring and leadership skills
- Knowledge spreads organically through the organization
- No one carries administrative burden alone
**The defender role isn't a watchdog—it's an apprenticeship. This transforms what could feel like surveillance into an opportunity for growth.** #### The Freedom to Shift: Horizontal Career Development What makes Smartup identity truly revolutionary is **voluntary role shifting**. Unlike traditional organizations where you're locked into your expertise, we embrace career fluidity. !!! example "Role Shifting in Practice" **Marcus has been a senior backend developer for 5 years. He's excellent at it, but getting bored.**
**Traditional Organization**: Marcus is stuck. His value is tied to his seniority in backend. Moving to UX means starting over, losing status and pay.
**In a Smartup**: Marcus can:
- Continue taking senior backend tasks when he wants (90% as attacker)
- Join the UX team as a junior member
- Take on UX tasks as a defender (10%, learning from senior UX designers)
- Gradually build UX skills while maintaining backend income
- Eventually take on senior UX roles as skills develop
**Result**: Marcus expands his skillset, stays engaged, and the Smartup gains a developer who understands both backend AND user experience. !!! tip "Why This Matters" **For Individuals**: - Never get trapped in a single role
- Learn new skills while earning
- Find renewed passion through variety
- Build cross-functional understanding
**For the Smartup**:
- Retain talented people who might otherwise leave from boredom
- Create bridges between teams through shared members
- Build resilience—more people can cover more roles
- Foster innovation through cross-pollination
#### The Learning Economy This fluid identity system creates what we call a **learning economy**: ```mermaid graph LR SE[Senior Expert
Feeling Stagnant] JL[Junior Learner
in New Domain] ME[Multi-skilled Expert
Cross-functional] IV[Increased Value
To Individual & Smartup] SE -->|Chooses to Explore| JL JL -->|Learns Through Tasks| ME ME -->|Creates| IV IV -->|Enables More| SE ``` !!! quote "Breaking the Specialization Trap" "Traditional organizations want you to stay in your box—it's easier to manage. But humans aren't meant to do one thing forever. A Smartup embraces our natural desire to grow, learn, and evolve." Why Identity Shifting Matters !!! example "Identity in Action" Sarah is a senior developer who's curious about business development. Watch her fluid day:
**9:00 AM - General Forum**: As a CITIZEN, she votes on strategic direction, her voice equal to everyone's.
**9:30 AM - Workplace**: As a COLLEAGUE, she discusses overall progress in the OSBP.
**10:00 AM - Dev Team**: As a senior TEAM MEMBER, she guides technical architecture decisions.
**11:00 AM - Task #42**: As an ATTACKER, she codes a critical feature (earning 90% of task value).
**2:00 PM - Business Team**: As a junior TEAM MEMBER, she joins market research discussions.
**3:00 PM - Task #78**: As a DEFENDER, she assists on a competitor analysis task, learning from the senior business developer (earning 10% while learning).
**End of Day**: Sarah earned well from her senior work AND gained business skills. The Smartup gets a developer who understands market pressures.
!!! tip "The Power of Context" By explicitly naming who we are in each space, we:
- Prevent power dynamics from poisoning collaboration
- Create psychological safety for honest communication
- Enable rapid context switching without confusion
- Build empathy by experiencing multiple perspectives
- Allow graceful transition between expert and learner modes
####Making the Shift Switching roles in a Smartup is designed to be frictionless: - See an interesting team? Join their public channel
- Want to learn? Apply for junior roles in that team
- Keep earning: Maintain senior roles in your expertise area
- Grow gradually: Take on more advanced tasks as you learn
- No permission needed: Your career path is yours to design
--- ### Identity Protocols: Who We Become in Each Space !!! info "What is this?" As we move between the 6 groups, we don't just change what we do—we change who we are. These identity protocols teach us how to show up in each space for maximum collective effective$ #### The Six Identities We Embody
- :material-forum:{ .lg .middle } **In the General Forum** --- **We are CITIZENS** Equal voice, equal vote, equal responsibility. Here, the newest contributor has the same rights as the founding team. We debate, propose, and decide as equals. *"In this space, I am a citizen with rights and obligations"* - :material-briefcase:{ .lg .middle } **In the Workplace** --- **We are COLLEAGUES** United by shared mission. We may have different skills and tasks, but we're all building toward the same vision. Collaboration over competition. *"In this space, I am a colleague working for our shared idea"* - :material-account-group:{ .lg .middle } **In Teams** --- **We are TEAM MEMBERS** Aligned on objectives. We coordinate our diverse skills toward specific goals, supporting each other's growth and success. *"In this space, I am a team member working on our objectives"* - :material-card-account-details:{ .lg .middle } **In Roles** --- **We are PEERS** Sharing expertise. Whether senior or junior, we're united by our craft, helping each other improve and solve technical challenges. *"In this space, I am a peer sharing skills and knowledge"* - :material-target:{ .lg .middle } **In Objectives** --- **We are SQUAD MEMBERS** Aligned on objectives. We coordinate our diverse skills toward specific goals, supporting each other's growth and success. *"In this space, I am a team member working on our objectives"* - :material-card-account-details:{ .lg .middle } **In Roles** --- **We are PEERS** Sharing expertise. Whether senior or junior, we're united by our craft, helping each other improve and solve technical challenges. *"In this space, I am a peer sharing skills and knowledge"* - :material-target:{ .lg .middle } **In Objectives** --- **We are SQUAD MEMBERS** Present and focused. We're here now, working on this specific mission, coordinating in real-time to achieve our goal. *"In this space, I am a squad member present and engaged"* - :material-checkbox-marked-circle:{ .lg .middle } **In Tasks** --- **We are ATTACKERS & DEFENDERS** Executing with discipline. We take on specific roles—driving work forward or ensuring quality—with clear accountability. *"In this space, I am actively attacking or defending this task"*
#### Why Identity Shifting Matters !!! example "Identity in Action" **Sarah is a senior developer in Smartup Zero. Watch how she shifts:** **9:00 AM - General Forum**: As a CITIZEN, she votes on whether to pursue mesh networking, weighing in equally with designers and business developers. **9:30 AM - Workplace**: As a COLLEAGUE, she reviews the overall ONLIFE roadmap, offering technical insights while respecting other disciplines. **10:00 AM - Dev Team**: As a TEAM MEMBER, she coordinates with other developers on the sprint plan. **10:30 AM - Backend Role**: As a PEER, she mentors a junior backend developer struggling with mesh protocols. **11:00 AM - "Build MVP" Objective**: As a SQUAD MEMBER, she syncs with frontend and QA on today's integration. **11:30 AM - Task #42**: As an ATTACKER, she codes the mesh discovery feature while her junior DEFENDER reviews and learns. !!! tip "The Power of Context" By explicitly naming who we are in each space, we:
- Prevent power dynamics from poisoning collaboration
- Create psychological safety for honest communication
- Enable rapid context switching without confusion
- Build empathy by experiencing multiple perspectives
**Learning the Dance** New contributors often struggle with identity shifting at first. That's normal—we're conditioned by traditional organizations to maintain rigid roles. But with practice, this fluidity becomes natural and empowering. !!! warning "Identity Discipline" These aren't just nice ideas—they're operational requirements. In our Matrix/Element spaces, channels are named and moderated to reinforce these identities. Bringing "boss energy" to a peer space or "individual contributor" mindset to the General Forum disrupts our collective intelligence ### The Meta-Transparency Layer: ADM Between Groups !!! info "What is this?" The ADM Triangle doesn't just operate within groups—it creates a transparency cascade from the outside world all the way down to individual tasks, ensuring accountability and alignment at every level. We've seen how the ADM Triangle works within each group. But the true power emerges when we see how it connects the groups themselves, creating what we call the **meta-transparency layer**—a complete chain of accountability from public oversight to task execution. #### The Oversight Cascade Each group in our 6-layer structure maintains oversight of the group below it through its own ADM Triangle:
- :material-earth:{ .lg .middle } **0_timeline → General Forum**
**A**: Citizens taking initiative with proposals/votes
**D**: Leadership team ensuring quality moderation
**M**: Bot documents everything to 0_timeline
*The outside world sees our governance in action* - :material-forum:{ .lg .middle } **General Forum → Workplace**
**A**: Colleagues taking initiative with work
**D**: Leadership team ensuring OSBP compliance
**M**: Bot reports progress to General Forum
*Citizens oversee how work gets done* - :material-briefcase:{ .lg .middle } **Workplace → Teams**
**A**: Team members taking initiative in teams
**D**: Team captains ensuring strategy/budgets
**M**: Bot reports team health to Workplace
*Colleagues oversee team formation* - :material-account-group:{ .lg .middle } **Teams → Roles**
**A**: Peers taking initiative in skill areas
**D**: Team captain ensuring roles are filled
**M**: Bot reports role coverage to Teams
*Teams oversee skill distribution* - :material-card-account-details:{ .lg .middle } **Roles → Objectives**
**A**: Squad members taking initiative on missions
**D**: Mission leaders ensuring coordination
**M**: Bot reports objective progress to Roles
*Peers oversee objective participation* - :material-target:{ .lg .middle } **Objectives → Tasks**
**A**: Worker taking initiative to complete
**D**: Assistant ensuring quality/learning
**M**: Bot reports task status to Objectives
*Squads oversee task execution*
#### The Complete Transparency Flow ```mermaid graph TD OT[0_timeline
Outside World] GF[1_general_forum
All Citizens] WP[2_workplace
All Colleagues] TM[3_teams
Team Members] RL[4_roles
Peers] OB[5_objectives
Squad Members] TS[6_tasks
Worker + Assistant] OT -->|oversees| GF GF -->|oversees| WP WP -->|oversees| TM TM -->|oversees| RL RL -->|oversees| OB OB -->|oversees| TS TS -.->|reports up| OB OB -.->|reports up| RL RL -.->|reports up| TM TM -.->|reports up| WP WP -.->|reports up| GF GF -.->|reports up| OT ``` !!! example "A Complete Flow Example" Let's follow a decision from inception to execution:

**Day 1 - Citizen Initiative**:
In the General Forum, citizens (A) propose adding mesh networking to ONLIFE. Leadership team (D) facilitates discussion. Bot (M) publishes proposal to 0_timeline.

**Day 3 - Vote Passes**:
Colleagues in Workplace (A) volunteer to implement. Leadership team (D) ensures it fits OSBP. Bot (M) reports commitment to General Forum.

**Day 5 - Team Forms**:
Dev team members (A) organize around mesh networking. Team captain (D) allocates budget and strategy. Bot (M) reports team formation to Workplace.

**Day 7 - Roles Activate**:
Backend peers (A) define mesh protocol skills needed. Team captain (D) ensures roles are properly staffed. Bot (M) reports skill gaps to Teams.

**Day 10 - Objective Launches**:
Squad members (A) begin "Build Mesh Prototype" objective. Mission leader (D) coordinates resources. Bot (M) reports progress to Roles.

**Day 12 - Tasks Execute**:
Senior dev (A) codes mesh discovery feature. Junior dev (D) assists and learns. Bot (M) logs 4 hours work, reports completion to Objective.

**Result**: Complete transparency from public proposal to code commit. Every stakeholder can trace the path. !!! tip "Why This Matters" Traditional organizations hide their operations behind closed doors. Our meta-transparency means:
- Public can see how decisions become reality
- Citizens can track their proposals through execution
- Workers understand why they're building what they're building
- No black boxes, no hidden agendas
- Trust through transparency at every level !!! warning "Information Overload?" With transparency at every level, we risk drowning in data. That's why the bot middleware is crucial—it filters and summarizes, ensuring each level gets the right amount of detail. Citizens don't see every git commit; task workers don't get flooded with governance debates. The meta-transparency layer completes our metabolic system. It ensures that our democratic ideals don't get lost in execution, and our military efficiency doesn't override our collective ownership. Every action is visible, every decision traceable, every contributor accountable—not through surveillance, but through systematic transparency. !!! quote "Douglas Engelbart on Human Capability" "The key thing about all the world's big problems is that they have to be dealt with collectively. If we don't get collectively smarter, we're doomed. A person's effectiveness isn't