Article
Management and Organization at Medium
Andy Doyle
Read on medium.com
(opens in a new tab)
1 highlight ·
Aug 2026
Medium tried using Holacracy to create a flexible and boss-less work environment. They found it helped with autonomy but made coordination and clarity harder as they grew. Now, Medium is moving beyond Holacracy, aiming for a system that balances individual initiative with clear leadership.
5 Aug 2026
Holacracy also requires a deep commitment to record-keeping and governance. Every job to be done requires a role, and every role requires a set of responsibilities. While this provides helpful transparency, it takes time and discussion. More importantly, we found that the act of codifying responsibilities in explicit detail hindered a proactive attitude and sense of communal ownership.