Groups are purposeful collections of individuals or entities that coordinate their actions, share resources, and make decisions together to achieve common objectives, forming the fundamental units of social organization across different scales of complexity.
Groups represent a fundamental structural pattern across all coordination systems, from small collaborative teams to global networks. They form whenever multiple agents establish relationships and shared practices to pursue collective aims, creating boundaries that distinguish members from non-members and developing internal norms that guide interaction. This basic pattern of human organization adapts and scales across contexts, creating nested structures of groups within groups that enable complex coordination.
In decentralized systems, groups function as both autonomous units and interconnected nodes within broader networks. They provide spaces for high-bandwidth collaboration while maintaining connections to larger contexts through agreements, shared purpose, and communication protocols. This dual nature—simultaneously independent and interdependent—enables effective coordination that balances local autonomy with network-wide coherence, creating resilient systems that can adapt to changing conditions while maintaining overall integrity.
Uses of “Groups”
Groups at Different Scales
The framework identifies three fundamental scales at which groups operate within decentralized networks, each with distinct coordination mechanisms and dynamics:
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Collaboration Scale: Small teams of 3-8 people engaging in high-bandwidth, synchronous interaction to accomplish specific tasks. These intimate groups enable deep trust, rapid iteration, and contextual learning.
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Coordination Scale: Networks of 10-150 people coordinating across functions through formalized agreements, shared state documentation, and asynchronous communication. These groups balance structure with flexibility to align diverse activities toward common objectives.
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Constituency Scale: Large communities of hundreds to thousands of stakeholders engaging through representative mechanisms, network governance, and shared infrastructure. These groups make fundamental direction-setting decisions and steward collective resources.
As Building DAOs as scalable networks explains, effective decentralized organizations design appropriate governance and coordination mechanisms for each scale, creating harmonious systems that “leverage mechanisms that derive collective intelligence from the three different scales that a DAO network operates across.”
Groups in the Cell Model
The Cell model, described in DAOs - From fractal primitives to network scale, views groups as the fundamental building blocks of network organizations. Each cell represents an autonomous group that maintains its internal coherence while connecting to others through transparent agreements and shared purpose.
This model enables what the framework calls “DAOs as fractal networks of connected cells” where small autonomous teams self-organize around opportunities while remaining aligned with network-wide direction. The relationship between cells is neither hierarchical nor completely independent, but rather based on mutual agreements that establish how groups will coordinate while preserving their autonomy.
Groups in Developmental Phases
Groups evolve through distinct developmental phases as they mature, each characterized by different priorities, activities, and coordination mechanisms. The DAO Primitives Framework identifies four key phases:
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Conversation Phase: Exploratory dialogue focused on building relationships, establishing shared context, and identifying potential areas for collaboration.
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Collaboration Phase: Active cooperation around specific initiatives, with emphasis on creating initial structure and demonstrating value.
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Commitment Phase: Development of formal agreements and governance mechanisms to sustain long-term engagement and resource allocation.
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Coordination Phase: Integration within broader networks through established protocols, enabling efficient coordination across multiple groups and contexts.
These phases represent a maturity model for group development rather than a strictly linear progression, with groups often cycling through different phases as they take on new challenges or integrate new members.
Groups in Governance Structures
In decentralized governance contexts, groups often form around specific functions, domains, or decision types, creating a networked governance structure rather than a centralized hierarchy. As described in Building DAOs as scalable networks, this approach enables specialized expertise and contextual decision-making while maintaining overall coherence.
The two-house governance model exemplifies this approach, with Community Governance groups safeguarding purpose and long-term direction while Operational Governance groups focus on implementation and day-to-day coordination. This separation creates appropriate forums for different types of decisions while establishing clear relationships between governance functions.
Related Concepts
- Cells: Autonomous teams that serve as the basic organizational units in DAO networks
- Teams: Collaborative groups focused on specific functions or objectives
- Community: The broader social fabric within which groups operate
- Scale: The different levels at which groups function, from small teams to large networks
- Coordination: The processes through which groups align their activities
- Agreements: The formal or informal understandings that define group relationships
References and Resources
- Building DAOs as scalable networks: Explores group structures in decentralized organizations
- DAOs - From fractal primitives to network scale.: Discusses cells as the basic group unit in DAO networks
- DAO Primitives Framework: Provides comprehensive model of group scales and phases