Case studies’ developing agile organiœations Foursuare’s startup culture etfli’s fleible approach poti­y’s suads and tribes More than ‰„ million people use etfli€ the video streaming service€ says “ThinŒ it€ build it€ ship it€ t‚eaŒ itŠ” That Foursuare ‚orld‚ide€ the mobile location its goal is to be “big€ ­ast and fleibleŠ” mantra€ together ‚ith its agility­ocused sharinganddiscovery application€ to learn Indeed€ in the first uarter o­ ‡…ˆ‰€ organiœational structure€ has helped build about areas they are visiting€ “checŒ in” its vie‚ership eceeded that o­ many musicstreaming service poti­y to more ‚ith ­riends or find deals ­rom merchants or conventional cable T¬ channels ‚hen than ™ million subscribers in ‡… countriesŠ restaurants in their vicinityŠ Its CEƒ€ ¦ennis subscribers streamed some ¥ billion hours ¥ Cro‚ley€ believes the company is per­ectly o­ content€ a remarŒable turnaround ­rom poti­y rapidly releases so­t‚are solutions positioned to become the locationdata a very public ‡…ˆˆ misstep ‚hen it uicŒly it improves iteratively therea­terŠ Its ­ocus plat­orm o­ choice ­or the internetŠ lost ž……€……… customers a­ter a poorly on rapidfire development influences not communicated attempt to separate video only ho‚ it designs and releases products€ The mobile ‚orld changes rapidly€ streaming ­rom ¦¬¦ rental servicesŠ but also ho‚ it organiœes its ‚orŒ­orceŠ The ho‚ever€ and Cro‚ley is determined to basic ‚orŒ unit at poti­y is the “suad” — Œeep Foursuare’s startup ­eel€ even as the Most small companies inevitably become a sel­organiœing team ‚hose members head count has gro‚n ­rom «ust a hand­ul o­ bureaucratic and hierarchical as they gro‚ have autonomy to design€ develop€ test employees to more than ˆ™…Š ‘is eecutive largerŠ etfli€ by contrast€ aspires to gro‚ and release productsŠ Members o­ a suad management committee consists o­ «ust ­ast ‚ithout becoming comple or chaotic€ sit in the same o­fice€ and «ointly decide ho‚ five peopleŠ according to company eecutivesŠ In ­act€ they ‚ill ­ulfill their specific missionŠ A the company’s recruitment materials note suad doesn’t have a ­ormally appointed “A lot o­ the ‚orŒ ‚e do is consensus that it doesn’t ‚ant to hire “«erŒs” but high leaderŠ It does have a product o‚ner ‚ho driven€” he eplainsŠ “Že’ll taŒe the ˆ… per­orming individuals ‚ho don’t “‚ait to be is responsible ­or prioritiœing the ‚orŒ — smartest people on mobile and asŒ€ ‘ hould told ‚hat to do€” and ‚ill also “picŒ up the but not ho‚ the ‚orŒ is doneŠ ‚e do this or not®’” I­ a Œey decision trash lying on the floorŠ” reuires a tiebreaŒer€ then an inperson To help identi­y impediments and improve meeting taŒes placeŠ “There is no CTƒ that Instead o­ creating lots o­ rules and their development methods€ suads also is maŒing the call€” Cro‚ley saysŠ “A lot hierarchy€ it believes in trusting its people meet regularly ‚ith an “agility coachŠ” o­ times these guys ‚ill duŒe it out€ and i­ to maŒe their o‚n decisionsŠ “Že have “Autonomy is one o­ our guiding principles€” the argument goes on longer than a couple a very nonhierarchical approach that eplains ‘enriŒ ²niberg€ an agility coach at o­ days€ then I’ll step in and maŒe the stresses ­reedom and responsibility€” poti­yŠ “Že aim ­or independent suads decisionŠ” eplains °onathan Friedland€ Chie­ that can build and release products on Communications ƒ­ficer and a member o­ their o‚n ‚ithout having to be tightly ‘is company€ he says€ doesn’t have time ­or the etfli eecutive committeeŠ Eecutives coordinatedŠ” ³uarterly audits o­ its teams ­ormal committee meetingsŠ “Everyone is spend a lot o­ time “maŒing sure everybody identi­y ‚hich suads are ‚orŒing ‚ell€ and ‚eighing in on these critical decisions all the has the right contet to ­orge ahead ‚ith ‚hich might reuire additional supportŠ time€” he says€ “because ‚e’re maŒing ‡„ ‚hat they’re doing” by laying out specific o­ them every single dayŠ” strategic goals and timetables€ but ‚ithout To coordinate ‚ithin the company€ suads micromanaging or asserting controlŠ In are aligned into “tribes” that meet to share ‘e also believes small€ innovative essence€ the company tells its sta­­ that in­ormation and identi­y development companies liŒe his need to rely on their over the long run€ fleibility is ŒeyŠ roadblocŒsŠ The number o­ ‚orŒers o‚n “gut instincts” in order to maintain belonging to a tribe is held at about ˆ……Š their momentumŠ ›uilding a technology Žhat does that mean in practice® There In addition€ poti­y organiœes its employees in­rastructure is the “easy part€ and are no limits on vacation or sicŒ days at into “guilds” and “chapters” to support assembling the user base and getting etfliŠ o one tells ‚orŒers ‚hen to come crosstribe Œno‚ledge sharingŠ something that people are passionate and go€ or clocŒs ‚hen they doŠ ›ut doing about and really ­eel strongly about€ ›level ‚orŒ ‚ill liŒely earn you a severance uads are told to release products “early that’s the part that is really di­ficultŠ” pacŒageŠ ˜Indeed the annual attrition is and o­tenŠ” ‹ather than distribute “per­ect” a chilling ‡…”Šš Alevel ‚orŒ results in more upgrades or ne‚ services€ poti­y ­ocuses The shared goal is to maŒe each individual money and responsibilityŠ instead on achieving simple results that customer eperience a uniue and personal can be subseuently per­ectedŠ Leaders one and to maintain a strong bond ‚ith The company calls this strategy “‘ighly establish a “minimum viable product” ­or each customerŠ Aligned€ Loosely CoupledŠ Each o­ us is each product or upgrade being released responsible ­or our o‚n particular areas€” then gather customer ­eedbacŒ to Friedland eplainedŠ “I­ ‚e do a good «ob iteratively improve itŠ ›y testing€ t‚eaŒing on it€ ‚e Œeep our «obsŠ I­ ‚e don’t€ ‚e and releasing constant upgrades€ poti­y get firedŠ” epects to remain agile and continuously „ improve the customer eperienceŠ §