The Starfish and the Spider

A spider has legs, a central body and a tiny head. Chop off the spider’s head and it dies. That’s what happens in a centralized organization with a clear leader in charge. A decentralized organization is more like a starfish — no head, only a decentralized network of cells. This book addresses the differences between the two organizational styles and why a smart business model contains parts of both.

• The right questions to ask when distinguishing a starfish organization from a spider organization.
• The rise of successful starfish organizations, such as Skype, craigslist and Wikipedia.
• The importance of circles, catalysts and ideology to the starfish organization.
• The key differences between catalysts and CEOs.
• Specific strategies to defeat starfish organizations.
• Rules for living in the new world of decentralization.