Start From the Beginning And Focus on People
Any large organization will consist of a framework that should be dynamic enough to allow for efficient change but stable enough to provide it's members with a sense of direction. The most important aspect when starting out is to continually be aware that any large organization while designed with a given architecture, is ultimately composed of individuals. Think of the "business plan" as the coarse direction that your organizations true life blood (people) will flow about. Be aware as your organization grows different folks with their own selfish interests and independent perspectives will be filling needs. It's your job to make sure that you invite and accept members that will work in harmony with the current community and are excited about the direction your organization is going.
Follow Mother Nature and Build Complex Systems Fractally
Start with just one or two other people that you can relate to, who're as determined as you (or more so) to build the organization and get them on board. Empower leaders to replicate what you have done with your first small group iteratively. As the community grows and others are responsible for managing new and existing members, your group will need to spend some time refreshing their alignment to the collective's current goals at all levels. Do your best to remain open and available to anyone in your organization, and insure that they feel empowered to make decisions on the group's behalf. For any job or task, the person doing the task is responsible for representing the organization as a whole.
Or If You Have Unlimited Resources: Entice Your Dream Team to Organize
If I could harness the will, focus, and influence of my favorite bloggers/thought leaders into one organization/corporation, I imagine it would be a creative financial force to be reckoned with.
- At the marketing helm steering through any branding barriers would be dynamo Seth Godin. He'd be my first pick to help entice the rest to consider the possibilities of a "Legion of Super Web Heroes". Plus Seth could relay the marvels of having his own action figure.
- Dreaming up visionary technology would be "fringe of now sci-fi" author Kevin Kelly.
- Knowing the companies that have the greatest Kung-Fu when it comes to tech and coming up with a plethora of far out and brilliant ideas himself, Robert Scoble.
- But wait, how do we profit best from combining this team and tech? With none other than venture capitalist, and way beyond web 2.0 personified, Fred Wilson. He could wring out the potential as well as having incredible connections with startup geniuses.
- I almost forgot Paul Graham, the programming sensei. His essays got me started down this road. I came across one of his posts about YCombinator and that got me thinking, and thinking, and thinking...
- Where do I fit in with this Legion of Super Change Makers? Every super group needs an eccentric data miner concerned primarily with the quality of life of those who inherit our imagination. Curiosity fueled and blessed with the worlds greatest companion (Michelle), fantastic friends and loving family. It'd be one helluva job just keeping up with the developments of the market disruptors above.
[podcast]http://www.crapchat.com/victusspiritus/audio/buildinglargeorganizationsandsystems.mp3[/podcast]