Catalyst Cooperative is an all-remote, 8-person, tech worker cooperative based in North America. The coop was founded in 2017 with the mission to make US energy system data more accessible. Catalyst's main objectives are to curate the free, open-source Public Utilities Data Liberation project (PUDL) and help clients navigate a myriad of energy or environmental data needs.
We filmed this interview to help researchers or coop-curious individuals learn more about what it's like working at a tech cooperative.
Timestamps
0:35 Why did we set up Catalyst as a cooperative?
- 0:49 We needed a container in which to do work
- 1:39 Considering non-profit models
- 3:16 Autonomy
4:09 What are some coop specific barriers that Catalyst has had to overcome to become what it is today? What are some tools for overcoming those barriers?
- 4:16 Access to capital
- 6:30 Explaining what we are to the world
- 7:00 Outsiders understanding who’s in charge
- 7:24 Delegating tasks within a nonhierarchical structure
- 8:12 Transparency and understanding collective finances
- 9:09 Getting to know each other
10:29 - How does non-hierarchy affect our work and how do we handle accountability without a boss?
- 10:41 Consent to be governed
- 10:55 Rotating responsibility based on domain expertise and capacity
- 11:33 Know when it’s necessary to have everyone's input on a decision (and when it is not)
13:22 What have we done to cultivate a consensus building ethos?
- 14:02 Structured check-ins, huddles, and pre-meetings discussions
- 15:26 Who wants to work here in the first place
- 16:38 Conversational impulse control and minimizing meeting time
- 17:46 Clear mission and strategy
- 18:28 Postponing decisions
- 19:17 Talking about things in person
- 20:06 Embracing the fact that decisions take time
- 20:25 Reevaluating decision making structures when it makes sense to do so
23:40 What is the balance between being an owner and employee and how does it impact things like workload and compensation
- 23:58 Different perspective on benefits
- 25:25 Feeling ownership over the work
- 26:27 Flexible unpaid time off
- 28:48 Building organizational redundancy
- 29:20 Ramp up or down organizational capacity
- 30:53 Creative, tax efficient ways to allocate money to members
32:04 How does our definition of success differ from other more traditional organizational structures?
- 32:01 Flexibility is nice, but it can lead to scope creep and surpassing deadlines
- 34:25 Financial check-ins, newsletters, and blog posts
- 34:50 Defining performance metrics
36:25 What is Catalyst’s position toward growth and where do we see ourselves in the future with regard to capacity and number of members?
- 36:46 Finding the sweet spot between needs, impact, and size
- 40:18 Growth begets specialization, for better or worse
- 43:03 Our growth is limited by our weirdness
45:06 How do you know whether working at or starting a coop is right for you?
- 45:25 A healthy dose of skepticism paired with a desire for ownership and flexibility
- 45:58 Willingness to navigate conflict and nuanced decision making
- 46:53 Value autonomy
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