Within the Network-First Manifesto community, founding members are invited to submit project proposals that align with our shared mission of amplifying human connection and collaborative freedom.
Each proposal is presented and defended before the community, and once it reaches the quorum of 25 ratifying votes, it becomes an officially recognized initiative.
Founding members then lead these initiatives together with other members who choose to get involved.
Below is an overview of previous and ongoing projects co-created by the community, each one reflecting a different facet of our collective journey toward a Network-First Future of Work.
Current Projects
#project-network-first-book
Catalyzed by Sarah de Sousa
This project proposes the collaborative creation of a book that documents and advances the Network First paradigm by practicing it. The writing process itself becomes a living example of networked sensemaking, distributed authorship, and shared value creation.
#project-network-first-company-pilot
Catalyzed by Francisco Marin
Hands-on experiment for organizations that want to redesign how they operate using network-first principles instead of hierarchy-first models. Volunteering companies pilot changes to how they collaborate, make decisions, and organize work, applying network-first practices in real operational contexts.
#project-network-first-consulting
Catalyzed by Dan George
Small, practitioner-led working group focused on advancing Network First consulting in real client contexts. The aim is to identify where Network First delivers clear, differentiated value—and to translate those use cases into practical, repeatable methods, frameworks, and exercises that can be used in actual engagements.
#project-network-first-eCommons
Catalyzed by Joe Todaro
As preparation for the delicate task of introducing monetization into some Network-First projects, the intention of the eCommons project is to establish parameters that can guide such efforts.
#project-network-first-events
Catalyzed by Francisco Marin
Designing community-wide gatherings, including the annual global summit, monthly network convergences and ongoing touchpoints throughout the year.
#project-network-first-ona
Catalyzed by Jaya Maharajah
A member-led initiative advancing the understanding and adoption of active and passive Organizational Network Analysis (ONA). It focuses on helping organizations visualize collaboration networks and strengthen connection and inclusion.
Outcome: Network First Active ONA Project
Outcome: Network First Passive ONA Project
#project-network-first-poetics
Catalyzed by Sarah de Sousa
This project proposes a collective interrogation of foundational terms with the goal of offering fresh language or fresh interpretations of stale words that better align with network-first values.
Outcome: Network-First Glossary
#project-network-first-semiotics
Catalyzed by Francisco Marin
Exploring the symbols and meaning systems that shape Network First. It examines how iconography, metaphors, and shared references influence identity and coordination. Focused on strengthening the symbolic architecture of the movement.
#project-network-synthetic-ona
Catalyzed by Curtis Michelson
Leveraging the generative capacity of large language models to construct large scale network systems composed of millions of nodes and edges. Within this synthetic environment, it aims to embed a wide range of Organizational Network Analysis patterns, including both effective and dysfunctional organizational design structures.
#project-visions-from-the-network
Catalyzed by Nathaniel Schooler
This initiative explores how the Network First future of work transforms the way we design workplaces. It looks at how physical and digital environments can nurture collaboration, creativity, and trust within decentralized networks.
#project-vital-cartography
Catalyzed by Dawna Jones
An interactive project where science is expressed through art to reveal what reductionist thinking has hidden: that bodies—human and organizational—are living ecosystems of interacting networks generating health and vitality.
#project-workplace-design
Catalyzed by Katarina Marin Mayer
A people-first workplace design model that prioritizes connection, collaboration, and wellbeing through flexible, network-based spaces.
Outcome: Network-First Workplace Design
Completed Projects
#project-30-day-team-challenge
Catalyzed by Francisco Marin
An experiment exploring whether AI can form effective teams. The challenge brought together members to test AI-configured collaborations, revealing that while technology can accelerate team formation, true motivation and trust come from shared human purpose.
Project Outcome: Network-First Future of Work
Project Outcome: Network-First Healthcare Transformation