publicaties:swarmwise
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| publicaties:swarmwise [2016/12/18 16:36] – update Azonata | publicaties:swarmwise [2016/12/18 16:55] (huidige) – update Azonata | ||
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| Regel 106: | Regel 106: | ||
| But first things first. Let’s return to that provocative idea of yours, lurking in the back of your head, and discuss how we can begin realizing it. | But first things first. Let’s return to that provocative idea of yours, lurking in the back of your head, and discuss how we can begin realizing it. | ||
| - | Launching Your Swarm | + | ===== Chapter Two – Launching Your Swarm ===== |
| Launching a swarm is an intense event, where you can get hundreds or thousands of new colleagues in less than a day. You have a very short window for appreciating their interest, or they will take it elsewhere. | Launching a swarm is an intense event, where you can get hundreds or thousands of new colleagues in less than a day. You have a very short window for appreciating their interest, or they will take it elsewhere. | ||
| Regel 127: | Regel 127: | ||
| My point here is, if you’re thinking hard about how to gather a swarm for your idea: | My point here is, if you’re thinking hard about how to gather a swarm for your idea: | ||
| - | **Don’t worry about advertising.** | + | === Don’t worry about advertising. |
| Word of mouth is much more efficient than any campaign can ever be, but that requires that your idea — or rather, your presentation of it — meet four criteria: tangible, credible, inclusive, and epic. | Word of mouth is much more efficient than any campaign can ever be, but that requires that your idea — or rather, your presentation of it — meet four criteria: tangible, credible, inclusive, and epic. | ||
| Regel 153: | Regel 153: | ||
| This brings us to the next problem: taking care of these hundreds of people while they’re still interested. They all will turn to you, // | This brings us to the next problem: taking care of these hundreds of people while they’re still interested. They all will turn to you, // | ||
| - | ===== SURVIVING THE INITIAL IMPACT ===== | + | ==== Surviving the initial impact |
| When your initiative hits the ground, and it is interesting enough to create a splash, then that splash will be unlike anything you have seen before. It can happen in many ways — it can be entirely word of mouth, it can become a major story in oldmedia, or, most commonly, it can hit the front page of one of many social news sites (or several of them at the same time). | When your initiative hits the ground, and it is interesting enough to create a splash, then that splash will be unlike anything you have seen before. It can happen in many ways — it can be entirely word of mouth, it can become a major story in oldmedia, or, most commonly, it can hit the front page of one of many social news sites (or several of them at the same time). | ||
| Regel 192: | Regel 192: | ||
| (A couple of weeks from this point, you will realize that you’ll need an intermediate layer of officers in between you and these thirty — a few of them will have lost interest and gone radio silent, and you won’t have noticed, because thirty people are too many to keep track of to that level if they don’t contact you. Therefore, you will want an intermediate layer of five or six people between you and these thirty as the swarm grows. But don’t worry about that at this stage — that’s for the next chapter, and a couple of weeks out.) | (A couple of weeks from this point, you will realize that you’ll need an intermediate layer of officers in between you and these thirty — a few of them will have lost interest and gone radio silent, and you won’t have noticed, because thirty people are too many to keep track of to that level if they don’t contact you. Therefore, you will want an intermediate layer of five or six people between you and these thirty as the swarm grows. But don’t worry about that at this stage — that’s for the next chapter, and a couple of weeks out.) | ||
| - | ===== THE SWARM’S FIRST TASK ===== | + | ==== The swarm’s first task ==== |
| As the swarm organizes into these subgroups by geography, it needs to be given a task immediately that allows it to jell properly. If you just tell people to go to a forum, they will lose interest in a week if nothing more happens. These are people who wanted to help the swarm succeed with the work of their own hands, remember? | As the swarm organizes into these subgroups by geography, it needs to be given a task immediately that allows it to jell properly. If you just tell people to go to a forum, they will lose interest in a week if nothing more happens. These are people who wanted to help the swarm succeed with the work of their own hands, remember? | ||
| Regel 207: | Regel 207: | ||
| The organization consists only of relationships between people. For every new relationship that is created, the organization grows. | The organization consists only of relationships between people. For every new relationship that is created, the organization grows. | ||
| - | ===== DEALING WITH ATTENTION JUNKIES ===== | + | ==== Dealing with attention junkies |
| As the swarm has its initial successes, a very small number of people will strive to join not because they sympathize with the swarm’s goals, but because they crave and demand attention for themselves, and the visibility of the swarm seems to be able to provide this to them. | As the swarm has its initial successes, a very small number of people will strive to join not because they sympathize with the swarm’s goals, but because they crave and demand attention for themselves, and the visibility of the swarm seems to be able to provide this to them. | ||
| Regel 216: | Regel 216: | ||
| This part of building a swarm is inevitable, it is tough to deal with, but you can rest assured that as long as you keep the swarm open and transparent, | This part of building a swarm is inevitable, it is tough to deal with, but you can rest assured that as long as you keep the swarm open and transparent, | ||
| - | Getting Your Swarm Organized: Herding Cats | + | ===== Chapter Three – Getting Your Swarm Organized: Herding Cats ===== |
| While the effective swarm consists almost entirely of loosely knit activists, there is a core of people — a // | While the effective swarm consists almost entirely of loosely knit activists, there is a core of people — a // | ||
| Regel 225: | Regel 226: | ||
| You also need to be aware that any organization copies the methods and culture of its founder. This means that the swarm will do exactly as you do, regardless of persistent attempts to teach them good manners. The only way to have the swarm behave well is to behave well yourself. We’ll be returning to this observation later in this chapter. | You also need to be aware that any organization copies the methods and culture of its founder. This means that the swarm will do exactly as you do, regardless of persistent attempts to teach them good manners. The only way to have the swarm behave well is to behave well yourself. We’ll be returning to this observation later in this chapter. | ||
| - | ===== THE THREE MAGIC GROUP SIZES ===== | + | ==== The three magic group sizes ==== |
| The few people upholding the scaffolding of the swarm will resemble a traditional hierarchical organization. However, it is important to understand that the role of this scaffolding is not directing and controlling the masses, as it would be in a corporation or other traditional organization. Rather, its role and value is in // | The few people upholding the scaffolding of the swarm will resemble a traditional hierarchical organization. However, it is important to understand that the role of this scaffolding is not directing and controlling the masses, as it would be in a corporation or other traditional organization. Rather, its role and value is in // | ||
| Regel 290: | Regel 291: | ||
| (I first learned of the different dynamics of these three group sizes – seven, thirty, and 150 — as part of my army officer’s training in my early twenties. It is no coincidence that they correspond to squad, platoon, and company size, respectively. Since then, these group sizes have reappeared in almost every leadership training and management workshop, in one aspect or another. More importantly, | (I first learned of the different dynamics of these three group sizes – seven, thirty, and 150 — as part of my army officer’s training in my early twenties. It is no coincidence that they correspond to squad, platoon, and company size, respectively. Since then, these group sizes have reappeared in almost every leadership training and management workshop, in one aspect or another. More importantly, | ||
| - | ===== SELF-ORGANIZATION ===== | + | ==== Self-organization |
| All this talk about leaders and formal structure sounds very…// | All this talk about leaders and formal structure sounds very…// | ||
| Regel 317: | Regel 318: | ||
| Another thing you will notice as the self-organization starts to happen is that it doesn’t necessarily follow geographical boundaries. This is fundamentally good; you will have groups that form around accomplishing specific tasks that are geographically unbound, as well as groups that form around tasks that are bound to a specific area by nature. The task of producing a press center isn’t tied to a city, but the task of handing out flyers is. When people self-organize, | Another thing you will notice as the self-organization starts to happen is that it doesn’t necessarily follow geographical boundaries. This is fundamentally good; you will have groups that form around accomplishing specific tasks that are geographically unbound, as well as groups that form around tasks that are bound to a specific area by nature. The task of producing a press center isn’t tied to a city, but the task of handing out flyers is. When people self-organize, | ||
| - | ===== ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS AND ORGANIC GROWTH ===== | + | ==== Organizational charts and organic growth |
| There are three key concepts the swarm organization is optimized for: //speed, trust,// and // | There are three key concepts the swarm organization is optimized for: //speed, trust,// and // | ||
| Regel 362: | Regel 363: | ||
| (This does not apply to military maps. When those have misprints, the military modifies the terrain to match the map, which happened at least once during my army term.) | (This does not apply to military maps. When those have misprints, the military modifies the terrain to match the map, which happened at least once during my army term.) | ||
| - | ===== MEETINGS AS HEARTBEATS ===== | + | ==== Meetings as heartbeats |
| In a typical office setting, people keep in touch about day-to-day operations in quite natural ways — by bumping into each other in the corridor, over coffee, but also in formal meetings. When working with a swarm, almost all of the cooperation happens over a distance — so you must find ways to compensate for the lack of eye contact and subtle body language that otherwise keep a team jelled. | In a typical office setting, people keep in touch about day-to-day operations in quite natural ways — by bumping into each other in the corridor, over coffee, but also in formal meetings. When working with a swarm, almost all of the cooperation happens over a distance — so you must find ways to compensate for the lack of eye contact and subtle body language that otherwise keep a team jelled. | ||
| Regel 375: | Regel 376: | ||
| In short, the simple rule of having a hard meeting cut-off time made sure that people (including me) didn’t waste other people’s time. | In short, the simple rule of having a hard meeting cut-off time made sure that people (including me) didn’t waste other people’s time. | ||
| - | ===== MEETINGS GONE OVERBOARD ===== | + | ==== Meetings gone overboard |
| Speaking of wasting other people’s time, some activists will tend to take meetings a little too seriously. It is important that you maintain meetings as a necessary evil, because people who are eager to be part of the swarm can easily see meetings as //the purpose of the swarm// — they will tend to see meetings as //work itself,// rather than the short time frame where you report and synchronize the actual work that you do //between// the meetings. | Speaking of wasting other people’s time, some activists will tend to take meetings a little too seriously. It is important that you maintain meetings as a necessary evil, because people who are eager to be part of the swarm can easily see meetings as //the purpose of the swarm// — they will tend to see meetings as //work itself,// rather than the short time frame where you report and synchronize the actual work that you do //between// the meetings. | ||
| Regel 382: | Regel 383: | ||
| In particular, activists in a subswarm dealing with oldmedia (newspapers, | In particular, activists in a subswarm dealing with oldmedia (newspapers, | ||
| - | ===== A CULTURE OF LEADERSHIP AND TRUST ===== | + | ==== A culture of leadership and trust ==== |
| As the swarm’s founder, you must be aware of the human psychology of leadership. People will do as you do, //exactly// as you do, even if and when you are having one of the worst days of your life. | As the swarm’s founder, you must be aware of the human psychology of leadership. People will do as you do, //exactly// as you do, even if and when you are having one of the worst days of your life. | ||
| Regel 415: | Regel 416: | ||
| In the next chapter, we’ll take a closer look at how activists of the swarm interact with the outside world, learn from mistakes, and remix the successes to evolve and improve. | In the next chapter, we’ll take a closer look at how activists of the swarm interact with the outside world, learn from mistakes, and remix the successes to evolve and improve. | ||
| - | ===== Control The Vision, But Never The Message ===== | + | ===== Chapter Four – Control The Vision, But Never The Message ===== |
| People’s friends are better marketers toward those people than you, for the simple reason that they are those people’s friends, and you are not. | People’s friends are better marketers toward those people than you, for the simple reason that they are those people’s friends, and you are not. | ||
| Regel 440: | Regel 441: | ||
| So the sum of this little introspective reflection at the start of the chapter is that the vision of the swarm’s end goal comes, and must come, from you — its founder. However, as we shall see, this doesn’t mean that you can control the message being told to every single being, or that you should even try to do so. Rather, you should encourage the opposite. | So the sum of this little introspective reflection at the start of the chapter is that the vision of the swarm’s end goal comes, and must come, from you — its founder. However, as we shall see, this doesn’t mean that you can control the message being told to every single being, or that you should even try to do so. Rather, you should encourage the opposite. | ||
| - | ===== YOU DO THE VISION, THE SWARM DOES THE TALKING ===== | + | ==== You do the vision, the swarm does the talking |
| Traditional marketing says that a message needs to stay constant to penetrate. My experience says that’s not very effective when compared to swarm techniques. | Traditional marketing says that a message needs to stay constant to penetrate. My experience says that’s not very effective when compared to swarm techniques. | ||
| Regel 495: | Regel 496: | ||
| This doesn’t mean you can’t listen to feedback and learn from it. But it should never, ever, be feared. This is paramount. | This doesn’t mean you can’t listen to feedback and learn from it. But it should never, ever, be feared. This is paramount. | ||
| - | ===== HELP THE SWARM REMIX THE MESSAGE ===== | + | ==== Help the swarm remix the message |
| The previous chapter discussed the vertical communication in the swarm. The horizontal communication is even more important to the swarm’s success. | The previous chapter discussed the vertical communication in the swarm. The horizontal communication is even more important to the swarm’s success. | ||
| Regel 508: | Regel 509: | ||
| The ability for the swarm to work horizontally like this, across all boundaries and all scales, is crucial for success. Speaking of flyers and posters, by the way, we arrive at the next vital part: | The ability for the swarm to work horizontally like this, across all boundaries and all scales, is crucial for success. Speaking of flyers and posters, by the way, we arrive at the next vital part: | ||
| - | **TAKE TO THE STREETS** | + | === Take to the streets === |
| Going back to the social mechanisms of accepting ideas, it is not really enough that people hear the swarm’s message from their friends, in particular their friends and acquaintances online. | Going back to the social mechanisms of accepting ideas, it is not really enough that people hear the swarm’s message from their friends, in particular their friends and acquaintances online. | ||
| Regel 584: | Regel 585: | ||
| In any case, limit any winter rally to about thirty minutes. | In any case, limit any winter rally to about thirty minutes. | ||
| - | ===== SCALE OUT, OUT, OUT ===== | + | ==== Scale out, out, out ==== |
| A key concept of the swarm is “scaling out.” This refers to the process of moving every activity as far out toward the edges of the swarm as possible, involving as many people as possible — and, while we’re doing so, scaling out the swarm’s operating costs along with the activity. | A key concept of the swarm is “scaling out.” This refers to the process of moving every activity as far out toward the edges of the swarm as possible, involving as many people as possible — and, while we’re doing so, scaling out the swarm’s operating costs along with the activity. | ||
| Regel 611: | Regel 612: | ||
| In the next chapter, we’ll take a deeper look at self-organization and making things happen. | In the next chapter, we’ll take a deeper look at self-organization and making things happen. | ||
| - | Keep Everybody’s Eyes On Target, And Paint It Red Daily | + | ===== Chapter Five – Keep Everybody’s Eyes On Target, And Paint It Red Daily ===== |
| Anybody who has led guilds or raids in World of Warcraft can learn how to lead a swarm. Or, for that matter, most entrepreneurs who have led small-scale teams dependent on trust. In essence, it’s the same social and psychological mechanisms. | Anybody who has led guilds or raids in World of Warcraft can learn how to lead a swarm. Or, for that matter, most entrepreneurs who have led small-scale teams dependent on trust. In essence, it’s the same social and psychological mechanisms. | ||
| Regel 649: | Regel 650: | ||
| When I led the Swedish Pirate Party, I used the exact same skill set I had used as an entrepreneur. And it did take the swarm into the European Parliament, so it’s hard to argue with the results. | When I led the Swedish Pirate Party, I used the exact same skill set I had used as an entrepreneur. And it did take the swarm into the European Parliament, so it’s hard to argue with the results. | ||
| - | ===== PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND SELF-ORGANIZATION ===== | + | ==== Project management and self-organization |
| The first time you see self-organization happen, it feels like magic. After having communicated a vision, you can see how the people who listened to you start to self-organize to make your vision happen, without you needing to give directions — or, indeed, interfere. | The first time you see self-organization happen, it feels like magic. After having communicated a vision, you can see how the people who listened to you start to self-organize to make your vision happen, without you needing to give directions — or, indeed, interfere. | ||
| Regel 678: | Regel 679: | ||
| This is part of the necessary scaling out. | This is part of the necessary scaling out. | ||
| - | ===== DRAW THE TIMELINE FOR ALL TO SEE ===== | + | ==== Draw the timeline for all to see ==== |
| A key tool in project management is the timeline. Between now and success, you will need to set sub goals to be met that are spaced about eight weeks apart. This may seem like a contradiction to self-organization, | A key tool in project management is the timeline. Between now and success, you will need to set sub goals to be met that are spaced about eight weeks apart. This may seem like a contradiction to self-organization, | ||
| Regel 705: | Regel 706: | ||
| Every day, you need to make sure that everybody in the swarm can check how far the swarm as a whole has progressed toward the nearest sub goal and toward the end goal. Paint the targets bright red on a daily basis for everybody to see; make all the targets visible and show the progress toward them. | Every day, you need to make sure that everybody in the swarm can check how far the swarm as a whole has progressed toward the nearest sub goal and toward the end goal. Paint the targets bright red on a daily basis for everybody to see; make all the targets visible and show the progress toward them. | ||
| - | ===== SETTING VISIBLE, ACTIVATING AND INCLUSIVE GOALS ===== | + | ==== Setting visible, activating and inclusive goals ==== |
| Have you ever played World of Warcraft (or, for that matter, pretty much any modern game)? One thing that catches people’s sense of addiction is that there are always many different paths to choose from for getting a reward of some kind. Looking at World of Warcraft, you can level up (called “dinging” from the sound effect when that happens), you can learn skills, you can explore the map, you can get rich, etc. In Battlefield 3 and similar games, you can get all sorts of achievement awards based on how you play the game. There’s always something to strive for that suits your taste. | Have you ever played World of Warcraft (or, for that matter, pretty much any modern game)? One thing that catches people’s sense of addiction is that there are always many different paths to choose from for getting a reward of some kind. Looking at World of Warcraft, you can level up (called “dinging” from the sound effect when that happens), you can learn skills, you can explore the map, you can get rich, etc. In Battlefield 3 and similar games, you can get all sorts of achievement awards based on how you play the game. There’s always something to strive for that suits your taste. | ||
| Regel 754: | Regel 755: | ||
| At the end of the day, the conclusion here is that you not only need to visualize the progress toward the nearest sub goal and the end goal of the swarm, but many other metrics as well that indicate the overall health of the swarm’s performance. You should pay particular attention to the fact that as you increase the number of metrics visualized, the tasks that don’t get measured at all will get less priority. Some of them may be important. | At the end of the day, the conclusion here is that you not only need to visualize the progress toward the nearest sub goal and the end goal of the swarm, but many other metrics as well that indicate the overall health of the swarm’s performance. You should pay particular attention to the fact that as you increase the number of metrics visualized, the tasks that don’t get measured at all will get less priority. Some of them may be important. | ||
| - | ===== DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP STYLES FOR DIFFERENT PHASES ===== | + | ==== Different leadership styles for different phases |
| Group psychology and individual proficiency of tasks mature as they gain experience. In different phases of group cohesion and individual proficiency, | Group psychology and individual proficiency of tasks mature as they gain experience. In different phases of group cohesion and individual proficiency, | ||
| Regel 809: | Regel 810: | ||
| We’ll take a closer look at group psychology and the inevitable conflict resolution in the next chapter, as we discuss how to make people feel included and constructive. | We’ll take a closer look at group psychology and the inevitable conflict resolution in the next chapter, as we discuss how to make people feel included and constructive. | ||
| - | + | ===== Chapter Six – Screw Democracy, We’re On A Mission From God ===== | |
| - | Screw Democracy, We’re On A Mission From God | + | |
| The swarm must have mechanisms for conflict resolution, for decision making, and for reward culture. There are many ways to accomplish this. A traditional voting democracy is one of the worst. | The swarm must have mechanisms for conflict resolution, for decision making, and for reward culture. There are many ways to accomplish this. A traditional voting democracy is one of the worst. | ||
| Regel 860: | Regel 860: | ||
| Instead, let’s look more at the other two methods we just highlighted. | Instead, let’s look more at the other two methods we just highlighted. | ||
| - | ===== MERITOCRACY AND THE LAW OF TWO FEET ===== | + | ==== Meritocracy and the law of two feet ==== |
| People accustomed to voting as a catchall panacea will initially have a hard time adjusting to a swarm meritocracy, | People accustomed to voting as a catchall panacea will initially have a hard time adjusting to a swarm meritocracy, | ||
| Regel 873: | Regel 873: | ||
| In this way, the swarm will take initiatives all of its own that further the swarm’s end goal. Activists will gravitate to where they see that they can contribute. And from the founder’s perspective, | In this way, the swarm will take initiatives all of its own that further the swarm’s end goal. Activists will gravitate to where they see that they can contribute. And from the founder’s perspective, | ||
| - | ===== EMPOWERING LIKE CRAZY FOR FUN AND PROFIT ===== | + | ==== Empowering like crazy for fun and profit |
| The tricky part can be to establish a meritocracy in an environment where people aren’t used to it. Again, this can be established through leadership — using the principle of teaching by example, and allowing others to learn through observation. In a swarm, people will copy the behaviour of those with a perceived influence. As the swarm’s founder, you have the highest amount of initial such influence. | The tricky part can be to establish a meritocracy in an environment where people aren’t used to it. Again, this can be established through leadership — using the principle of teaching by example, and allowing others to learn through observation. In a swarm, people will copy the behaviour of those with a perceived influence. As the swarm’s founder, you have the highest amount of initial such influence. | ||
| Regel 898: | Regel 898: | ||
| But this attitude has another very positive effect. By communicating clearly that in this swarm, you’re not only allowed to make mistakes, but // | But this attitude has another very positive effect. By communicating clearly that in this swarm, you’re not only allowed to make mistakes, but // | ||
| - | ===== MISTAKES ALLOWED HERE ===== | + | ==== Mistakes allowed here ==== |
| This part is absolutely paramount to communicate to your officers in the scaffolding supporting the swarm — that mistakes are not only allowed, but expected, and when they happen, we learn from them. (It’s a different thing to tolerate somebody making the same mistake over and over, or sabotaging the swarm deliberately, | This part is absolutely paramount to communicate to your officers in the scaffolding supporting the swarm — that mistakes are not only allowed, but expected, and when they happen, we learn from them. (It’s a different thing to tolerate somebody making the same mistake over and over, or sabotaging the swarm deliberately, | ||
| Regel 915: | Regel 915: | ||
| With all this said of a meritocracy or a “do-ocracy, | With all this said of a meritocracy or a “do-ocracy, | ||
| - | ===== THE MAGIC OF THE CONSENSUS CIRCLE ===== | + | ==== The magic of the consensus circle |
| One good mechanism for arriving at a decision in a (defined) group is called a //consensus circle.// Rather than focusing on fear of losing through voting, which will cause people who fear losing to just stall what they think is a bad decision, the consensus circle focuses on including everybody and getting people into a constructive mind-set. | One good mechanism for arriving at a decision in a (defined) group is called a //consensus circle.// Rather than focusing on fear of losing through voting, which will cause people who fear losing to just stall what they think is a bad decision, the consensus circle focuses on including everybody and getting people into a constructive mind-set. | ||
| Regel 936: | Regel 936: | ||
| Now, this method doesn’t solve the problem of how to define the group in question where everybody gets the power of veto. That will be a problem that depends heavily on the very specific situation and context. | Now, this method doesn’t solve the problem of how to define the group in question where everybody gets the power of veto. That will be a problem that depends heavily on the very specific situation and context. | ||
| - | ===== ORGANIZATIONAL ASTRONAUTS ===== | + | ==== Organizational astronauts |
| Let’s jump to another issue. From the very first day of the swarm, you will have people who claim that the swarm would work much better if it were organized in their favorite manner. More often than not, these people will fall into one of two categories. | Let’s jump to another issue. From the very first day of the swarm, you will have people who claim that the swarm would work much better if it were organized in their favorite manner. More often than not, these people will fall into one of two categories. | ||
| Regel 953: | Regel 953: | ||
| The swarm’s rules, by the way, are by and large that there are no rules. These people will seek to impose them. | The swarm’s rules, by the way, are by and large that there are no rules. These people will seek to impose them. | ||
| - | ===== DIVIDING SCARCE RESOURCES ===== | + | ==== Dividing scarce resources |
| This brings us to the delicate question of scarce resources in the swarm. As it grows, people will start to donate resources to it — servers, money, equipment. If it is a successful swarm, it will have recurring donations and some sort of predictable income. | This brings us to the delicate question of scarce resources in the swarm. As it grows, people will start to donate resources to it — servers, money, equipment. If it is a successful swarm, it will have recurring donations and some sort of predictable income. | ||
| Regel 964: | Regel 964: | ||
| With this said, once the swarm has any money to speak of, a sizeable chunk of it should be devoted to supporting individual activists’ initiatives where they reclaim expenses after the fact. The swarm lives and dies with the creativity and initiatives of its activists. | With this said, once the swarm has any money to speak of, a sizeable chunk of it should be devoted to supporting individual activists’ initiatives where they reclaim expenses after the fact. The swarm lives and dies with the creativity and initiatives of its activists. | ||
| - | ===== REWARDING PEOPLE ===== | + | ==== Rewarding people |
| The military hands out medals when somebody does something good. This works in an impersonal organization, | The military hands out medals when somebody does something good. This works in an impersonal organization, | ||
| Regel 985: | Regel 985: | ||
| While these are just examples, the criteria for rewards tend to converge on three key factors — helping the energy, the focus, and the passion of the swarm. | While these are just examples, the criteria for rewards tend to converge on three key factors — helping the energy, the focus, and the passion of the swarm. | ||
| - | ===== TAMPERING WITH THE GOAL OF THE SWARM ===== | + | ==== Tampering with the goal of the swarm ==== |
| At some point, you may want to adjust the goals of the swarm. For a political party, this is almost inevitable. For a single-issue swarm, it is more avoidable. Nevertheless, | At some point, you may want to adjust the goals of the swarm. For a political party, this is almost inevitable. For a single-issue swarm, it is more avoidable. Nevertheless, | ||
| Regel 1000: | Regel 1000: | ||
| In such a scenario, voting may be the only way through. In doing so, you will create losers, many of whom will leave the swarm permanently with a bitter aftertaste. But if the alternative is to accept the failure of the swarm as a whole, it is still the preferable option. | In such a scenario, voting may be the only way through. In doing so, you will create losers, many of whom will leave the swarm permanently with a bitter aftertaste. But if the alternative is to accept the failure of the swarm as a whole, it is still the preferable option. | ||
| - | ===== MEETINGS REVISITED ===== | + | ==== Meetings revisited |
| So at some extreme scenarios, you may still have to use voting. This, I really want to emphasize, should be a last resort through a conscious choice of options that best care for the energy, focus, and inclusiveness of the swarm, given a difficult circumstance, | So at some extreme scenarios, you may still have to use voting. This, I really want to emphasize, should be a last resort through a conscious choice of options that best care for the energy, focus, and inclusiveness of the swarm, given a difficult circumstance, | ||
| Regel 1017: | Regel 1017: | ||
| However, the concept of liquid democracy doesn’t solve the problem of determining who should have voting rights in the first place. | However, the concept of liquid democracy doesn’t solve the problem of determining who should have voting rights in the first place. | ||
| - | ===== DEALING WITH MAVERICKS ===== | + | ==== Dealing with mavericks |
| In the process of running the organization, | In the process of running the organization, | ||
| Regel 1028: | Regel 1028: | ||
| Always remember that an organization is people, and that attention is reward. | Always remember that an organization is people, and that attention is reward. | ||
| - | + | ===== Chapter Seven – Surviving Growth Unlike Anything The MBAs Have Seen ===== | |
| - | Surviving Growth Unlike Anything The MBAs Have Seen | + | |
| Following a high-profile event, your swarm just tripled in size in a week. You have twenty thousand new activists — new colleagues — that are all waiting for instructions from you, personally. They’re waiting for instructions from you because your name is the only one they know of. There are no MBA classes on how to handle this situation: those people talk about the challenges you encounter when growing by more than 10 percent a year. This is how you handle 200 percent growth in a week. | Following a high-profile event, your swarm just tripled in size in a week. You have twenty thousand new activists — new colleagues — that are all waiting for instructions from you, personally. They’re waiting for instructions from you because your name is the only one they know of. There are no MBA classes on how to handle this situation: those people talk about the challenges you encounter when growing by more than 10 percent a year. This is how you handle 200 percent growth in a week. | ||
| Regel 1041: | Regel 1040: | ||
| Getting 20,000 new colleagues and activists in a week isn’t a pipe dream. It happens. Quite rarely, but it does happen. You need to be prepared for it. | Getting 20,000 new colleagues and activists in a week isn’t a pipe dream. It happens. Quite rarely, but it does happen. You need to be prepared for it. | ||
| - | ===== BROADCASTING AND MAINTAINING VALUES ===== | + | ==== Broadcasting and maintaining values |
| Common organizational practice holds that you should write down your organization’s values. This is not enough in a fast-growing swarm; you need to do three more things. | Common organizational practice holds that you should write down your organization’s values. This is not enough in a fast-growing swarm; you need to do three more things. | ||
| Regel 1058: | Regel 1057: | ||
| These two sample documents, taken together, sum up a lot of this book. | These two sample documents, taken together, sum up a lot of this book. | ||
| - | ===== DECENTRALIZED LEADERSHIP AND EMPTY BOXES ===== | + | ==== Decentralized leadership and empty boxes ==== |
| This leads us to what happens when you do get a // | This leads us to what happens when you do get a // | ||
| Regel 1065: | Regel 1064: | ||
| Second, it requires empty boxes in the organizational chart of the scaffolding. Tons and tons of empty boxes everywhere. So don’t be afraid of populating the entire set of empty boxes at the organization’s genesis moment, even if just a few at the top (or centre, depending on your point of view) will have names in them at the start, as we discussed in chapter 3. | Second, it requires empty boxes in the organizational chart of the scaffolding. Tons and tons of empty boxes everywhere. So don’t be afraid of populating the entire set of empty boxes at the organization’s genesis moment, even if just a few at the top (or centre, depending on your point of view) will have names in them at the start, as we discussed in chapter 3. | ||
| - | ===== GROW WITH HAVING FUN ===== | + | ==== Grow with having fun ==== |
| In the context of growing, having fun in the organization is more important than just having fun at work. It is crucial to growing the activist base. | In the context of growing, having fun in the organization is more important than just having fun at work. It is crucial to growing the activist base. | ||
| Regel 1072: | Regel 1071: | ||
| Having fun in the organization is crucial to success. You need to make sure that you and your colleagues, all several thousand of them, have fun. | Having fun in the organization is crucial to success. You need to make sure that you and your colleagues, all several thousand of them, have fun. | ||
| - | ===== GRINDING, GRINDING, GRINDING ===== | + | ==== Grinding, grinding, grinding |
| Success in a swarm doesn’t happen smoothly and fluidly. It happens in hard-to-predict enormous bursts. | Success in a swarm doesn’t happen smoothly and fluidly. It happens in hard-to-predict enormous bursts. | ||
| Regel 1087: | Regel 1086: | ||
| However, we should not confuse persistent day-to-day grinding with a refusal to see roadblocks for the uptake of the swarm’s ideas. If people tell you that your website is confusing, that the officers of the swarm are inaccessible, | However, we should not confuse persistent day-to-day grinding with a refusal to see roadblocks for the uptake of the swarm’s ideas. If people tell you that your website is confusing, that the officers of the swarm are inaccessible, | ||
| - | ===== MAINTAIN ONE VALUE SET AND ONE VALUE BASE ===== | + | ==== Maintain one value set and one value base ==== |
| So far, this book has focused a lot on success recipes, but it can be equally instructing to learn from failures. My greatest strategic mistake ever was one of greed, as is often the case. It involves the founding of the youth wing of the Pirate Party — the //Ung Pirat (“Young Pirate”).// | So far, this book has focused a lot on success recipes, but it can be equally instructing to learn from failures. My greatest strategic mistake ever was one of greed, as is often the case. It involves the founding of the youth wing of the Pirate Party — the //Ung Pirat (“Young Pirate”).// | ||
| Regel 1134: | Regel 1133: | ||
| As of this writing, the recently elected head of the described youth wing is one of the strongest swarmthink activist spirits in the movement. It remains to be seen if the damage to the cooperative, | As of this writing, the recently elected head of the described youth wing is one of the strongest swarmthink activist spirits in the movement. It remains to be seen if the damage to the cooperative, | ||
| - | ===== SERIOUSLY, ONE POWER BASE ===== | + | ==== Seriously, one power base ==== |
| When I spoke to previous challenger parties across Sweden, they all bemoaned one specific organizational detail that had ultimately become their downfall: multiple power bases. | When I spoke to previous challenger parties across Sweden, they all bemoaned one specific organizational detail that had ultimately become their downfall: multiple power bases. | ||
| Regel 1151: | Regel 1150: | ||
| So keep your swarm to being one legal entity (if you bother to make it a formal legal entity at all). Many brave attempts at changing the world have fallen on the intentional creating of internal factions, with results as predictable as the sun setting. | So keep your swarm to being one legal entity (if you bother to make it a formal legal entity at all). Many brave attempts at changing the world have fallen on the intentional creating of internal factions, with results as predictable as the sun setting. | ||
| - | + | ===== Chapter Eight – Using Social Dynamics To Their Potential | |
| - | Using Social Dynamics To Their Potential | + | |
| The key to a successful swarm is to be better at understanding and using massive-scale social dynamics than your competitors. We’ve looked at some of the specific techniques in chapters 4 and 6. This chapter will round off with the more advanced, yet most crucial techniques. | The key to a successful swarm is to be better at understanding and using massive-scale social dynamics than your competitors. We’ve looked at some of the specific techniques in chapters 4 and 6. This chapter will round off with the more advanced, yet most crucial techniques. | ||
| Regel 1158: | Regel 1156: | ||
| When you communicate the swarm’s goals to tens of thousands of people or even to hundreds of thousands, it poses unique challenges, as they’re all in different positions of understanding the swarm’s goals and have different motivations for choosing to receive your communications. You need to be aware of all of these and cater to the well initiated as well as the just-recruited activists, all at the same time. | When you communicate the swarm’s goals to tens of thousands of people or even to hundreds of thousands, it poses unique challenges, as they’re all in different positions of understanding the swarm’s goals and have different motivations for choosing to receive your communications. You need to be aware of all of these and cater to the well initiated as well as the just-recruited activists, all at the same time. | ||
| - | ===== SOCIAL LINKS ===== | + | ==== Social links ==== |
| A lot of communities make the mistake of only using online connections. As we observed in chapter 4 when taking to the streets, the real strength of an activist swarm lies in being able to cross-use online and offline social friendships. | A lot of communities make the mistake of only using online connections. As we observed in chapter 4 when taking to the streets, the real strength of an activist swarm lies in being able to cross-use online and offline social friendships. | ||
| Regel 1165: | Regel 1163: | ||
| Once we’ve established that we want to utilize the offline friendships that activists have with their friends to explain the swarm’s message to more people, we need to look at how our activists are in different situations with different abilities to do that. | Once we’ve established that we want to utilize the offline friendships that activists have with their friends to explain the swarm’s message to more people, we need to look at how our activists are in different situations with different abilities to do that. | ||
| - | ===== GROWING ON THE EDGES ===== | + | ==== Growing on the edges ==== |
| A swarm only grows on its fuzzy outer edge: at the swarm’s centre, where you are, everybody is already involved at the highest activity level. This leads to an important insight: the people who are most active can’t recruit any new activists to the swarm themselves by talking to their friends. | A swarm only grows on its fuzzy outer edge: at the swarm’s centre, where you are, everybody is already involved at the highest activity level. This leads to an important insight: the people who are most active can’t recruit any new activists to the swarm themselves by talking to their friends. | ||
| Regel 1172: | Regel 1170: | ||
| But it is still the responsibility of the most motivated people to grow the swarm, despite the fact that they can’t do so personally. Rather, it is their responsibility to enable the people who can recruit new people to do so, despite the fact that the people in a leading position have no idea who these people actually //are.// | But it is still the responsibility of the most motivated people to grow the swarm, despite the fact that they can’t do so personally. Rather, it is their responsibility to enable the people who can recruit new people to do so, despite the fact that the people in a leading position have no idea who these people actually //are.// | ||
| - | ===== HEARTBEAT MESSAGES ===== | + | ==== Heartbeat messages |
| To enable such recruitment at the edge, a couple of key components must be communicated to the entire swarm at regular intervals in //heartbeat messages.// This must be done by the people with the most experience in talking about the swarm, typically once a week. The heartbeat messages should contain at least the following: | To enable such recruitment at the edge, a couple of key components must be communicated to the entire swarm at regular intervals in //heartbeat messages.// This must be done by the people with the most experience in talking about the swarm, typically once a week. The heartbeat messages should contain at least the following: | ||
| Regel 1185: | Regel 1183: | ||
| A swarm grows by people talking to one another, one conversation at a time. The Swedish Pirate Party grew to fifty thousand members just like that: one person at a time, one conversation at a time. These conversations are the key to the long-term success of the swarm. | A swarm grows by people talking to one another, one conversation at a time. The Swedish Pirate Party grew to fifty thousand members just like that: one person at a time, one conversation at a time. These conversations are the key to the long-term success of the swarm. | ||
| - | ===== UNDERSTANDING THE ACTIVATION LADDER ===== | + | ==== Understanding the activation ladder |
| In any swarm, it is essential to know where the paths to individual success coincide with the success of the swarm’s mission, and to bring new recruits into alignment with one of these paths as soon as possible. | In any swarm, it is essential to know where the paths to individual success coincide with the success of the swarm’s mission, and to bring new recruits into alignment with one of these paths as soon as possible. | ||
| Regel 1202: | Regel 1200: | ||
| Apart from this, asking a dozen activists to describe each step that led them to join and activate should be a good start to discover the activation ladder for a particular swarm. | Apart from this, asking a dozen activists to describe each step that led them to join and activate should be a good start to discover the activation ladder for a particular swarm. | ||
| - | ===== MOBILIZING ACTIVISTS ===== | + | ==== Mobilizing activists |
| The key success factor for any swarm is its ability to mobilize activists; its ability to activate its followers. As we saw in chapter 5, metrics are tremendously important to follow and track, and can be used successfully as a motivator for internal competitions and trendspotting alike. | The key success factor for any swarm is its ability to mobilize activists; its ability to activate its followers. As we saw in chapter 5, metrics are tremendously important to follow and track, and can be used successfully as a motivator for internal competitions and trendspotting alike. | ||
| Regel 1219: | Regel 1217: | ||
| Remember, a swarm can’t compete on resources — but it is absolutely unbeatable on speed, reaction time, and cost efficiency. | Remember, a swarm can’t compete on resources — but it is absolutely unbeatable on speed, reaction time, and cost efficiency. | ||
| - | ===== CALLS TO ARMS: PERCEPTION IS REALITY ===== | + | ==== Calls to arms: perception is reality |
| You can and should use mass text messaging over your favorite platform to mobilize the swarm not just to physical locations, but to any place where your issues are discussed. This particularly includes comment fields and discussion threads. | You can and should use mass text messaging over your favorite platform to mobilize the swarm not just to physical locations, but to any place where your issues are discussed. This particularly includes comment fields and discussion threads. | ||
| Regel 1234: | Regel 1232: | ||
| It’s not just that perception is reality. If you can shape perception, you can also shape reality. A swarm excels at this. | It’s not just that perception is reality. If you can shape perception, you can also shape reality. A swarm excels at this. | ||
| - | ===== MORE WAYS TO TRICK PERCEPTION ===== | + | ==== More ways to trick perception |
| In Sweden, there is a political conference every year known as // | In Sweden, there is a political conference every year known as // | ||
| Regel 1243: | Regel 1241: | ||
| Again, perception is reality. | Again, perception is reality. | ||
| - | ===== RESPECTING ANONYMITY ===== | + | ==== Respecting anonymity |
| The more information you require about your activists, the fewer activists you’ll have. You’re certain to have clowns in the organization complaining about your collecting too little data on the people in the swarm, asking you to collect as much data as possible about every volunteer in order to data-mine and find patterns that can be used in various forms of marketing. Kicking people who do this hard in the groin solves the immediate clown problem: everybody in the organization needs to have responsibility for the primary swarm goal, which can’t be attained without a large number of activists. Maximizing the number of activists is therefore always the primary sub goal, and scaring away potential activists counteracts this. | The more information you require about your activists, the fewer activists you’ll have. You’re certain to have clowns in the organization complaining about your collecting too little data on the people in the swarm, asking you to collect as much data as possible about every volunteer in order to data-mine and find patterns that can be used in various forms of marketing. Kicking people who do this hard in the groin solves the immediate clown problem: everybody in the organization needs to have responsibility for the primary swarm goal, which can’t be attained without a large number of activists. Maximizing the number of activists is therefore always the primary sub goal, and scaring away potential activists counteracts this. | ||
| Regel 1256: | Regel 1254: | ||
| (You will need to know who your officers are, on the other hand, as they become points of contact at some level. But the many-cogs-in-the-machine activists can be completely anonymous if they prefer — and many do.) | (You will need to know who your officers are, on the other hand, as they become points of contact at some level. But the many-cogs-in-the-machine activists can be completely anonymous if they prefer — and many do.) | ||
| - | ===== REWARDING THE LONG TAIL ===== | + | ==== Rewarding the long tail ==== |
| Many organizations, | Many organizations, | ||
| Regel 1279: | Regel 1277: | ||
| So reward the long tail with attention — that can tip an entire blogosphere toward discussing you, with the exception of the star bloggers, but they’re the few and the long tail are the many. | So reward the long tail with attention — that can tip an entire blogosphere toward discussing you, with the exception of the star bloggers, but they’re the few and the long tail are the many. | ||
| - | ===== USING ATTENTION TO BUILD A COMMUNITY ===== | + | ==== Using attention to build a community |
| On August 29, 2012, Barack Obama — the president of the United States — did a thirty-minute so-called //AMA// on a site called Reddit. AMA is short for “Ask Me Anything.” Anybody in the whole world had an opportunity to ask questions directly and personally to the president of the United States, and he responded to as many as he could during the allocated time. | On August 29, 2012, Barack Obama — the president of the United States — did a thirty-minute so-called //AMA// on a site called Reddit. AMA is short for “Ask Me Anything.” Anybody in the whole world had an opportunity to ask questions directly and personally to the president of the United States, and he responded to as many as he could during the allocated time. | ||
| Regel 1304: | Regel 1302: | ||
| Politics is a spectator sport, and so is arguing your case anywhere on the Internet. As they say in other spectator sports, “win the crowd.” | Politics is a spectator sport, and so is arguing your case anywhere on the Internet. As they say in other spectator sports, “win the crowd.” | ||
| - | + | ===== Chapter Nine – Managing Oldmedia | |
| - | Managing Oldmedia | + | |
| As much as people would like to disrupt the world by going their own way entirely, you cannot change an existing system without also becoming a little part of it in order to change it from the inside. Everybody can change something, but nobody can change everything. Your swarm’s focus probably isn’t on changing the way oldmedia works, so this is how you deal with them. | As much as people would like to disrupt the world by going their own way entirely, you cannot change an existing system without also becoming a little part of it in order to change it from the inside. Everybody can change something, but nobody can change everything. Your swarm’s focus probably isn’t on changing the way oldmedia works, so this is how you deal with them. | ||
| Regel 1363: | Regel 1360: | ||
| (A notable exception to this is opinion pieces, so called op-eds, which we’ll return to later in this chapter.) | (A notable exception to this is opinion pieces, so called op-eds, which we’ll return to later in this chapter.) | ||
| - | ===== OWNING YOUR ISSUE IN OLDMEDIA ===== | + | ==== Owning your issue in oldmedia |
| A key concept in dealing with oldmedia is “owning the issue.” Basically, it means that your swarm needs to be so tightly associated with the issues you drive or things you sell that whenever oldmedia come across a story on the topic, they call you for comments. | A key concept in dealing with oldmedia is “owning the issue.” Basically, it means that your swarm needs to be so tightly associated with the issues you drive or things you sell that whenever oldmedia come across a story on the topic, they call you for comments. | ||
| Regel 1370: | Regel 1367: | ||
| Ideally, you want to get into a position where reporters of oldmedia call you regularly just to check if there’s any story on your topic that hasn’t been published yet. We were in this position for a week following the raid on the Pirate Bay on May 31, 2006, as we sat on a ton of material. When you’re being called like that and are able to give the reporters stories that haven’t been published yet, you’re basically in charge of the newsflow on your topic. | Ideally, you want to get into a position where reporters of oldmedia call you regularly just to check if there’s any story on your topic that hasn’t been published yet. We were in this position for a week following the raid on the Pirate Bay on May 31, 2006, as we sat on a ton of material. When you’re being called like that and are able to give the reporters stories that haven’t been published yet, you’re basically in charge of the newsflow on your topic. | ||
| - | ===== MEDIA BREAKTHROUGHS ===== | + | ==== Media breakthroughs |
| Oldmedia won’t even mention a new swarm by name until it does something significant. Just existing and having opinions is not interesting. You will likely need to work diligently for several months before hitting an interesting breakthrough to oldmedia — the net is much, much quicker than oldmedia in discovering new talent. | Oldmedia won’t even mention a new swarm by name until it does something significant. Just existing and having opinions is not interesting. You will likely need to work diligently for several months before hitting an interesting breakthrough to oldmedia — the net is much, much quicker than oldmedia in discovering new talent. | ||
| When the oldmedia breakthrough happens, though, you will not miss it. It will quite likely coincide with an activist verticality that we discussed in chapter 7 — when a movement grows dramatically as a result of some big event, that’s always interesting to oldmedia. You will be on television every hour on the hour for a week across pretty much all channels, and there will be no end of invitations to submit op-ed articles large and small. (We’ll be returning to op-eds shortly.) | When the oldmedia breakthrough happens, though, you will not miss it. It will quite likely coincide with an activist verticality that we discussed in chapter 7 — when a movement grows dramatically as a result of some big event, that’s always interesting to oldmedia. You will be on television every hour on the hour for a week across pretty much all channels, and there will be no end of invitations to submit op-ed articles large and small. (We’ll be returning to op-eds shortly.) | ||
| - | ===== THE GANDHI SCALE IS ACCURATE ===== | + | ==== The gandhi scale is accurate |
| Gandhi once said, “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” This is eerily accurate in oldmedia’s portrayal of any disruptive or provocative swarm. | Gandhi once said, “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” This is eerily accurate in oldmedia’s portrayal of any disruptive or provocative swarm. | ||
| The results of this can be very counterintuitive. When you have been fighting through months and months of hard work to get any attention, and articles that portray you as stupid clowns start appearing in oldmedia, it is very easy and logical to feel disheartened. You need to know — to logically understand — that being ridiculed is a significant step //forward// from not being mentioned at all, and a necessary stepping-stone on the path to winning. We would talk about G2 articles, G3 articles, and G4 articles — G2 being level two on the Gandhi scale, an article ridiculing your swarm and your efforts. | The results of this can be very counterintuitive. When you have been fighting through months and months of hard work to get any attention, and articles that portray you as stupid clowns start appearing in oldmedia, it is very easy and logical to feel disheartened. You need to know — to logically understand — that being ridiculed is a significant step //forward// from not being mentioned at all, and a necessary stepping-stone on the path to winning. We would talk about G2 articles, G3 articles, and G4 articles — G2 being level two on the Gandhi scale, an article ridiculing your swarm and your efforts. | ||
| - | ===== WHO WRITES THE PRESS RELEASE? ===== | + | ==== Who writes the press release? ==== |
| As mentioned earlier, you will need a media subswarm of thirty people at the most. These people could reside in a chat channel of your choice — Skype, IRC, XMPP, Mumble, etc. — and should ideally be a mix of people that are active during different times of day, so you’ll statistically always have at least three people ready to respond to an event with a reactive press release. | As mentioned earlier, you will need a media subswarm of thirty people at the most. These people could reside in a chat channel of your choice — Skype, IRC, XMPP, Mumble, etc. — and should ideally be a mix of people that are active during different times of day, so you’ll statistically always have at least three people ready to respond to an event with a reactive press release. | ||
| Regel 1387: | Regel 1384: | ||
| One problem with such a group is that media responsibility is seen as a high-profile assignment | One problem with such a group is that media responsibility is seen as a high-profile assignment | ||
| - | ===== AVATAR FACES OF THE SWARM ===== | + | ==== Avatar faces of the swarm ==== |
| This leads us to the question about avatar faces of the swarm. When working with oldmedia, the swarm needs one outward face, and one face only. This would typically be the swarm leader or founder (you). It is important to realize that this is an //avatar// face — it is not you as a person, but a face that represents a larger and very specific movement. | This leads us to the question about avatar faces of the swarm. When working with oldmedia, the swarm needs one outward face, and one face only. This would typically be the swarm leader or founder (you). It is important to realize that this is an //avatar// face — it is not you as a person, but a face that represents a larger and very specific movement. | ||
| Regel 1400: | Regel 1397: | ||
| On the contrary, you need to teach the media subswarm to write quotes and attribute them to you, the swarm leader or founder, for these reasons. If you’ve taken enough part in the media group and written enough press releases yourself, the subswarm will know the kind of things you say and be able to send out a press release with quotes in your name without needing you as a bottleneck. You’ll be amazed at how smart you can sound when you let other people make up the quotes you say without asking you first. | On the contrary, you need to teach the media subswarm to write quotes and attribute them to you, the swarm leader or founder, for these reasons. If you’ve taken enough part in the media group and written enough press releases yourself, the subswarm will know the kind of things you say and be able to send out a press release with quotes in your name without needing you as a bottleneck. You’ll be amazed at how smart you can sound when you let other people make up the quotes you say without asking you first. | ||
| - | ===== GETTING FACE TIME: BE WHERE THE CAMERAS ARE ===== | + | ==== Getting face time: be where the cameras are ==== |
| As much as possible, you will want to be on location where the most important things to your swarm happen. “Sending somebody” is not enough — the avatar faces of the swarm, typically you, have to be at the most important events. There are several reasons for you being there personally. | As much as possible, you will want to be on location where the most important things to your swarm happen. “Sending somebody” is not enough — the avatar faces of the swarm, typically you, have to be at the most important events. There are several reasons for you being there personally. | ||
| Regel 1409: | Regel 1406: | ||
| More often than not, they’ll jump at the opportunity of getting your comment right away. After all, it’s much-better-spent time for them to get your comments than just wait around and get absolutely nothing produced. The win for you, obviously, is that your comment goes to the cutting board of the TV evening news — and more often than not, a comment of yours makes it to the broadcast, just from you walking up to the TV crews and saying hi. | More often than not, they’ll jump at the opportunity of getting your comment right away. After all, it’s much-better-spent time for them to get your comments than just wait around and get absolutely nothing produced. The win for you, obviously, is that your comment goes to the cutting board of the TV evening news — and more often than not, a comment of yours makes it to the broadcast, just from you walking up to the TV crews and saying hi. | ||
| - | ===== SCORING THOSE OP-EDS ===== | + | ==== Scoring those op-eds ==== |
| An op-ed is usually a full-page print in a newspaper. It is not news reporting, but an opinion piece; it can be regarded as a blog post in oldmedia, and it has quite a bit of reach. (The word “op-ed” has a very simple explanation: | An op-ed is usually a full-page print in a newspaper. It is not news reporting, but an opinion piece; it can be regarded as a blog post in oldmedia, and it has quite a bit of reach. (The word “op-ed” has a very simple explanation: | ||
| Regel 1432: | Regel 1429: | ||
| Finally, during those intense breakthrough moments when you’re in the center of attention, it happens that you get requests for op-eds by oldmedia. Always try your utmost to fulfil these requests, keep the word count that is requested, and deliver before the deadline. This sends the message that you’re reliable when oldmedia asks you to provide content for them, and will give you more opportunities down the line. | Finally, during those intense breakthrough moments when you’re in the center of attention, it happens that you get requests for op-eds by oldmedia. Always try your utmost to fulfil these requests, keep the word count that is requested, and deliver before the deadline. This sends the message that you’re reliable when oldmedia asks you to provide content for them, and will give you more opportunities down the line. | ||
| - | ===== SET UP A PRESS CENTER ===== | + | ==== Set up a press center |
| Finally, you’ll also need to set up a //press center.// In all simplicity, this is somewhere where reporters can go and download pictures of you for publication, | Finally, you’ll also need to set up a //press center.// In all simplicity, this is somewhere where reporters can go and download pictures of you for publication, | ||
| Regel 1441: | Regel 1438: | ||
| The address to this press center should be at the bottom of every single press release, and it should be as simple as // | The address to this press center should be at the bottom of every single press release, and it should be as simple as // | ||
| - | + | ===== Chapter Ten – Beyond Success | |
| - | Beyond Success | + | |
| In many ways, success can be harder to handle than failure, because it sets expectations most people have never felt. These are some of the most important experiences on how to not make a wild success crash on its maiden flight into a painful failure. | In many ways, success can be harder to handle than failure, because it sets expectations most people have never felt. These are some of the most important experiences on how to not make a wild success crash on its maiden flight into a painful failure. | ||
| Regel 1458: | Regel 1454: | ||
| The simplest way to avoid it is to be nice to all people, even to your adversaries. Doing so will not just benefit the culture of the swarm, where you lead by example and show people that being excellent to each other is the way to behave, but it will also catch your adversaries completely off guard. This is a good thing: “If you can’t convince them, confuse them.” You don’t have to agree with them — you just have to disagree nicely and politely. | The simplest way to avoid it is to be nice to all people, even to your adversaries. Doing so will not just benefit the culture of the swarm, where you lead by example and show people that being excellent to each other is the way to behave, but it will also catch your adversaries completely off guard. This is a good thing: “If you can’t convince them, confuse them.” You don’t have to agree with them — you just have to disagree nicely and politely. | ||
| - | ===== THE DAY AFTER SUCCESS ===== | + | ==== The day after success |
| In the entertainment business, they say that no time is as tough as the year after that year when you were the hottest thing of the town. This applies to every swarm as well. When we’ve been on a slowly upward trajectory for a couple of years, we tend to believe that any dings — any level-ups — are permanent ascensions to a new base level of popularity, acceptance, and visibility. | In the entertainment business, they say that no time is as tough as the year after that year when you were the hottest thing of the town. This applies to every swarm as well. When we’ve been on a slowly upward trajectory for a couple of years, we tend to believe that any dings — any level-ups — are permanent ascensions to a new base level of popularity, acceptance, and visibility. | ||
| Regel 1473: | Regel 1469: | ||
| This type of downfall is reversible and repairable, but it takes time and a lot of organizational and personal anguish to do so. Basically, once this downward spiral has set in, the swarm needs to bottom out at a failing level before people realize there aren’t any riches, at which point the repairs can start. This is painful for everybody involved. So keep the swarm on track, and do remind them of that saying in the entertainment business: no time is as tough as the year after the year you’re hot — and that year will come around, as certainly as the calendar tells you it will. | This type of downfall is reversible and repairable, but it takes time and a lot of organizational and personal anguish to do so. Basically, once this downward spiral has set in, the swarm needs to bottom out at a failing level before people realize there aren’t any riches, at which point the repairs can start. This is painful for everybody involved. So keep the swarm on track, and do remind them of that saying in the entertainment business: no time is as tough as the year after the year you’re hot — and that year will come around, as certainly as the calendar tells you it will. | ||
| - | ===== GOING INTERNATIONAL ===== | + | ==== Going international |
| If your swarm’s goals are of an international nature, you will very quickly see copycat movements in other countries, as activists there realize that your recipe for changing the world would work in their country, too. The Pirate Party has spread organically to seventy countries as of this writing, founded by me as an individual person on January 1, 2006. | If your swarm’s goals are of an international nature, you will very quickly see copycat movements in other countries, as activists there realize that your recipe for changing the world would work in their country, too. The Pirate Party has spread organically to seventy countries as of this writing, founded by me as an individual person on January 1, 2006. | ||
| Regel 1496: | Regel 1492: | ||
| I led the Swedish Pirate Party for its first five years, putting two people in the European Parliament on June 7, 2009, which sent political shockwaves around the entire world. After that success, the proof of concept was there, and there was a success blueprint in place. That was the major success necessary. After that, there was no further doubt in the world that this could actually be pulled off. | I led the Swedish Pirate Party for its first five years, putting two people in the European Parliament on June 7, 2009, which sent political shockwaves around the entire world. After that success, the proof of concept was there, and there was a success blueprint in place. That was the major success necessary. After that, there was no further doubt in the world that this could actually be pulled off. | ||
| - | ===== DON’T SHOOT FOR THE MOON ===== | + | ==== Don’t shoot for the moon ==== |
| In closing, it is possible for one person to set out to change the world and succeed. Other people hold no genetic advantage over you — there is nothing inherent to say that their position is superior to yours and that you can’t succeed. Quite to the contrary, it is much a matter of attitude. | In closing, it is possible for one person to set out to change the world and succeed. Other people hold no genetic advantage over you — there is nothing inherent to say that their position is superior to yours and that you can’t succeed. Quite to the contrary, it is much a matter of attitude. | ||
| Regel 1519: | Regel 1515: | ||
| Don’t shoot for the moon. Shoot for Mars! | Don’t shoot for the moon. Shoot for Mars! | ||
| - | ===== FINAL WORDS ===== | + | ==== Final words ==== |
| In my worldwide presentations, | In my worldwide presentations, | ||
publicaties/swarmwise.1482075367.txt.gz · Laatst gewijzigd: 2016/12/18 16:36 door Azonata