Metablogging involves individuals maintaining personal or shared logs within a collective platform, such as Notion or a dedicated Discord channel. The primary goals of metablogging are to create an open, continuous dialogue among team members, to maintain a comprehensive record of decision-making processes, and to minimize the need for frequent meetings.

Key Benefits

Transparency in Decision-Making Metablogging encourages open discussions about values, beliefs, and plans within a group. Members share their perspectives on various topics, such as architectural choices, equity structuring, and financial decisions. This transparency allows for a broader range of inputs and fosters trust among members.

Chronological Record of Thinking Metablogs serve as a chronological record of the group's past decisions and the rationale behind them. This archival function is particularly useful for onboarding new members, who can quickly get up to speed by reading through previous entries. It allows them to understand the group's evolution and integrate seamlessly.

Reduction of Meetings By addressing significant topics through written posts, metablogging reduces the need for frequent meetings. Decisions on structural, technical, and design issues are debated and resolved through written exchanges, allowing team members to reflect and respond at their own pace. This asynchronous communication streamlines decision-making processes and saves time.

Implementation A basic setup for metablogging typically involves: Each member having their own folder or space to host their metablog entries. A central communication channel, such as a Discord channel, where new posts are announced.

The simplicity of the setup ensures that metablogging remains a seamless and integral part of the group's workflow, promoting consistent participation and engagement.

Metablogging vs. Traditional Communication

Traditional organizational communication often relies on hierarchical information flow, which can lead to closed discussions, selective information sharing, and numerous meetings. In contrast, metablogging promotes transparent, open discussions, first-person point-of-view onboarding, and fewer meetings. This approach supports a more collaborative and inclusive environment, enabling new forms of post-permission collaboration.

Case Study: An Artist Collective

An artist collective that adopted metablogging experienced several positive outcomes. Over ten months, seven members produced over 200 metablog posts. They found that: Transparency and Trust: By discussing various topics openly, the group built deeper trust and clarified their collective thinking. Documented Evolution: New members could trace the group's decision-making history, learning and integrating more effectively. Efficient Decision-Making: Metablogging significantly reduced the need for meetings, as most deliberations occurred in written form.

The collective discovered that an open information infrastructure allowed for more meaningful and creative work, strengthening their connections and enhancing the joy of their collaborative efforts.

Metablogging is a powerful tool for enhancing transparency, accountability, and collaboration within a group. By maintaining an open, documented dialogue, groups can reduce the need for meetings, onboard new members effectively, and foster a culture of trust and creativity. This practice can be easily implemented with minimal technological requirements, making it accessible and beneficial for various types of organizations and teams.