The RootCircuit is a worker-owned collective where creators collaborate on meaningful projects. We provide the infrastructure, resources, and community for members to turn ideas into reality while maintaining democratic control over their work.
What does that mean in practice?
At the heart of the collective are projects. Projects are where talents meet, collaborate, and transform ideas into tangible outcomes. Whether you're bringing a new concept to life or contributing your expertise to existing initiatives, projects serve as the engine of our collaborative creation.
How Projects Work
How Projects Begin
Projects start in two ways: pitch an idea to gather collaborators, or join existing initiatives that match your skills and interests. The key is finding the right mix of passionate contributors and complementary expertise.
Main Projects vs Side Projects
When the entire group gets excited about a concept, it becomes a main project of RootCircuit. These serve as training grounds where we learn to collaborate effectively and refine our collective processes.
Members can also pursue personal projects or collaborate in smaller groups within the RootCircuit umbrella, accessing collective resources, expertise, and support while maintaining the collaborative spirit.
How We're Funded
We operate on a collaborative funding model where members contribute through membership fees and shared resources. The specifics depend on our space and operational needs as we grow.
From Ideas to Ventures
When Projects Make Money
When a project aims to generate revenue, it branches out as a daughter collective. This happens because monetization requires different legal frameworks, clearer ownership structures, and dedicated business operations.
The Daughter Collective Model
When a daughter collective forms, RootCircuit typically retains around 10% ownership, reflecting the support and resources that enabled the project's development. This stake can be bought out if desired, providing flexibility as the venture grows.
Worker Ownership
We value worker ownership as the foundation of both RootCircuit and any daughter collectives that emerge. When we create products or ventures, contributors—not external investors—own the majority, ensuring participants have control over the fruits of their labor and greater creative freedom.
What This Means
In daughter collectives, 51% of shares and value always belong to the workers. The remaining 49% goes to founders and can be distributed to key workers or investors.
Who Becomes a Worker-Owner
When first joining, there's a vesting period during which workers gradually gain voting rights and ownership rights. This time educates workers on their rights and responsibilities. When leaving, there's a tapering effect — rights don't disappear immediately.
The reasoning is simple: you don't want someone who contributed nothing to receive value created by others or affect decisions they don't understand. Similarly, you don't want someone who worked for years to get nothing because they left before a major milestone.
Role of Investors
Non-worker shareholders get priority for recovering their investment and can participate in debates about major decisions like company sales, but they don't have voting rights on day-to-day operations.
Democratic Tools
Worker ownership follows principles of democracy. Our societies praise their democratic merits — why should companies be any different? So how do we introduce democratic tools into our collective?
Open Participation
RootCircuit operates through regular member meetings where policies are discussed and decided. We use anonymous proposal systems and secret ballots to ensure everyone can participate without social pressure. All major decisions affecting the collective require member approval.
How Initiatives Work
Any worker can propose new policies or challenge existing decisions by gathering signatures from colleagues. Once enough signatures are collected, the proposal goes to a vote by all worker-owners. The results are binding.
Elections and Leadership
Leadership positions are open to elections, ensuring that those in governance roles are chosen by and accountable to the collective.