Hi everyone, I managed to find a couple of hours over the weekend to put together a very rough, initial startup plan for the coterie. It's pretty long and reasonably detailed so I've put it in a document which you can read here.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e1Ws-dzoRu8Za_zXK7LzadMKghptD9jLB8kAp5m7lmo/edit?usp=sharing
I realise a lot of this stuff is pretty dry and really what most people are interested in is actually all around the TPAs but we obviously won't get to that point unless we get something practically in place so here are the highlights if the full document is a bit much to digest.
Most important points
- I'm proposing an inaugural meeting date of Thursday, November 19th
- I need people who want to put their hands up for leadership roles to get in contact with me this week. More on that in the discussion forum (see below).
- Proposed membership tiers at $100, $250 and $1000 plus business sponsorship levels.
- Coterie will organise four events for members and these will be the primary member benefits (over and above the satisfaction of doing some awesome for the club).
- I'll drive the project to establishment with the goal of transitioning to a self-managing, democratic structure
- I've been deliberately aggressive in terms of the ambition of the coterie because I believe in having a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) to drive you forward. And I honestly believe it's achievable.
- Anyone who registered will get details about the discussion forum that we'll use to discuss the nitty, gritty. At the moment, I really welcome people's feedback and thoughts on this thread and we'll use the discussion forum more as a decision making/organisation tool. That said I'm going to post a comment immediately after this blog on some of the logistical grist as to the general principles that I'm working with as to how I chose to structure the operation, which is probably only interesting if you're interested in being involved with the organisational side of the coterie.
Let's get this baby, rolling.
P.S. IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO CLICK THIS LINK TO BECOME A COTERIE FOUNDATION MEMBER!
P.S.S. If you want to discuss your potential involvement, please feel free to email me at philipsim at gmail.com
Replies
Less interesting logistical points (but important nonetheless)
- I'm keen to implement as many agile management principles as possible in getting the coterie up and running and the making it self-sustaining. (That basically means making lots of little steps forward and continuous iteration, keeping a flat non-hierarchical structure, pushing out pieces of work into small teams). For those familiar with scrum I'll essentially take on the product manager role. I will note that particularly in the start-up stages it's likely I'll be making some key calls myself to make sure we don't get dragged down by paralysis of consensus. What I will promise everyone is when I do make calls to push things forward ahead I'll keep everyone informed and give everyone the chance to comment and give feedback.
- I see this very much as a two-step process with the first year being entirely considered as an experimental build year. For example, I think it probably makes sense to put in place a working constitution for the first year of operation that is moulded over the course of the experience before we properly indoctrinate it. Again, that's why I've tried to mould the structure on agile premises because I think until you know what this can become there is little point in trying to do things like create a constitution that may prove outdated in 12 months.
- Everyone that registered will get an email either tomorrow or Wednesday. If you're keen on getting involved logistically, a Google account will help as we'll be using Google Groups for the discussion forum and sharing of documents, etc. I'm looking to use Trello for project management and Hipchat for real-time meetings.
The draft doco looks like a decent start, gets the major vision articulated decently enough for people to decide if they want to commit or not.
Phil will there be any full frontal nudity on any level of this Coterie?
Because if there is, Carlo will be out for sure.....
Phil as ive mentioned to you, a $100 minimum is ok for most of us i really think your excluding some good honest hard working people from not being involved in the future with a $30 or $50 minimum.
Or is this group not for single parents, old pensioners, people on a one income minimum wage with a family, $100 is a hell of a lot for some people like that who are living week to week but want to be involved and feel like they are helping sponsor the team, or are these people not important to this group?
No Snake, and that will be where the crowd-funding round comes in. See this part of the plan:
Crowdfunded supporters
With only 10 per cent of members indicating their limitations to the $50 level, it would seem that this level of support and below would be better-served be limited to a crowdfunding exercise co-ordinated via a platform like Pozible. Crowdfunding benefits to be determined at a later date but would not include formal membership or voting rights.
The organisation has to scale in the right-way. There is an administrative overhead with every member when it comes to things like voting rights, and even more so with the events that I'd like for the coterie to run. I think what might be a good idea to build on your suggest, that I haven't incorporated is at least one really basic event like a bbq or something that everyone who has contributed can be a part of, and I would imagine that level of membership including access to any of the digital assets mentioned.
Sweet, as long as theres a way for those people to contribute, all good.
Cheers. And thanks for kicking off the feedback loop!
Fongy can you come up with 20k mate, then you will have naming rights, it will be called the '1EE FRANKIE FONG COTERIE'
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