Which tribe do you belong to? In time, asking this question will not seem odd at all in Applifting. No, we haven’t lost our minds; we are simply beginning to divide into smaller teams, the so-called tribes. How does it work and why are we doing it?
Applifting begins to be divided into individual tribes. But the strong bond remains.
Applifting is growing at a rocket speed; the number of Applifters has increased by almost 50 % in the last year. This is a positive trend, but, on the other hand, it brings new challenges that we need to face, one of which is the potential inconvenience of knowing 120 other Applifters. That’s why we came up with the idea of splitting into smaller teams. We know from experience that the ideal group size is around 30 people. All members still know each other on a personal level and everybody is aware of other people’s tasks and responsibilities.
Applifting should therefore eventually begin to split into separate, independent units. These have a few things in common, namely Applifting; its values; shared teams such as marketing or back office; but also the Council of Elders, the only governing body so far.
How will it work?
Applifters who would like to start a new tribe only need to have some business potential and a capable team. Then they get the thumbs up. A tribe should be set up and run within Applifting and will only split off after about a year of showing its viability. It must be profitable, as must the mother from whom it separates. At the same time, two different tribes should not be in competition.
The ideal number of tribe members is about 10–15 at the beginning, eventually growing to about 30 but no more than 60. Applifting will gradually become a tribe incubator while, at the same time, continuing its business.
Some benefits of tribalization are
- A more transparent company structure
- Reduction of cognitive load (no need to know a hundred colleagues or to read dozens of announcements daily that do not concern you)
- Clearer focus of individual tribes
- Founders of a new unit will get some of its shares and the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial spirit
We have actually already begun with tribalization. DX Heroes, a project which helps improve developer experience, is our first tribe. And now another unit is being set up in London, our new expansion target.
