The 300 Framework: The tl;dr
Want the formal proofs? See: Full Academic Paper
The Problem in One Sentence
Organizations either stay small and cohesive or grow big and become a mess. There’s no middle ground.
The Solution
Cap it at 300 people. But make those 300 work like 3,000.
The Structure
Six Domain Circles (50 people each)
| Circle | What They Do |
|---|---|
| Patrons | Fund stuff, show up for events, VIP access |
| Media | Create content, manage channels, tell the story |
| Academics | Write papers, validate claims, academic cred |
| Initiative Leaders | Run projects, manage launches, make stuff happen |
| Amplifiers | Share content, recruit members, spread the word |
| Infrastructure | Build systems, maintain tech, keep lights on |
Three Commitment Tiers
| Tier | Commitment | What They Get |
|---|---|---|
| Shields | Show up occasionally | Access, community, voting on some stuff |
| Spears | Regular participation | More access, priority for opportunities |
| Phalanx | All in, core team | Decision-making power, revenue share |
The Ask Matrix
When a project needs something, the Ask Matrix matches:
- What skills are needed
- Who has those skills
- Who’s available
- Who’s in the right commitment tier
It’s like a dating app for project staffing.
Crown vs. Blessing
- Crown = Governance (who decides)
- Blessing = Economics (who gets paid)
You can have Blessing without Crown (investor with no vote) or Crown without Blessing (advisor with no equity). Most systems conflate these. We don’t.
Why 300?
Robin Dunbar says humans can maintain about 150 stable relationships. Double that for an organization where not everyone needs to know everyone. Beyond 300, you need bureaucracy. At 300, you can still function on trust and reputation.
The Wry Part
Every startup says they’re “flat” and “collaborative” until they hit 50 people and realize someone has to decide who gets the good parking spot.
We just built the parking spot allocation into the operating system from day one.
Next: The Boaz Principle — how to build generosity into math instead of marketing