Hold on Loosely: How Loose Organizations Work (SXSW)

Companies always try to grow so they can do more things, add more capabilities, and make more money - right? Not anymore: Not in Austin, or in many other places. People are finding that digital and mobile technologies can help them to organize more loosely and rapidly, and that means they can keep small and flexible, scale up when necessary, and link up with other loose organizations to swarm big... [read more]

Companies always try to grow so they can do more things, add more capabilities, and make more money - right? Not anymore: Not in Austin, or in many other places. People are finding that digital and mobile technologies can help them to organize more loosely and rapidly, and that means they can keep small and flexible, scale up when necessary, and link up with other loose organizations to swarm big projects, even if they are freelancers working out of their own houses, coffee shops, or coworking spaces.

How do these loose organizations work? In this core conversation, I'll briefly share stories from my research into some of Austin's loose organizations: freelancers, coworking spaces, and an internet startup. I'll discuss how the organizations in my research hold together, function, and build links with each other.

With these cases in mind, I'll moderate a discussion about attendees' own experiences with loose organizations and brainstorm ways to make them run more effectively. Afterwards, I'll post conversation notes on my blog so we can keep the ball rolling after SXSW.

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