“Great merchants cannot thrive alone; their power lies in the trusted circles they weave.”
— Benedetto Cotrugli, The Art of Trade
For eight years, with dedicated partners, I’ve poured time and purpose into HashNET’s critical mission: helping Europe reclaim control of its digital destiny.
The momentum is building. There is light at the end of the tunnel. But at times, it still feels like a Mission Impossible movie.
Returning to COTRUGLI: A Mission Reignited
All these years, I neglected COTRUGLI. Now that I’m back, I see a vital mission—abandoned, yet still within reach.
Yes, it looks complex and demanding. But compared to the first one, this is ten times easier.
From Network to Tribe
A network connects people. A tribe binds them through shared stories, values, and a common quest.
Today, COTRUGLI’s alumni body includes more than 2,700 MBA graduates from 47 MBA, EMBA, and CEMBA cohorts. But we need more than numbers—we need tribal coherence.
Why “Tribe” and Not Just “Alumni Network”?
We live in a state of continuous turbulence. Supply chains break overnight. AI rewrites entire industries.
People call this world VUCA: volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. But for us, it’s even more extreme—VUCAos on steroids.
Winning in a VUCAos World
To win in this landscape, I want to be prepared to the max. History shows: very few battles were won by individuals.
But tribes win battles. That’s why I want to share insights about modern business tribes—as an introduction to COTRUGLI’s next evolution.
What Makes a Tribe?
A tribe is more than a team and less than a bureaucracy. It’s a human-sized circle—small enough for trust, big enough for diversity.
And right now, we’re working to enhance the COTRUGLI tribe with HAI5.
More powerful tools = better odds in battle. Stay tuned.
Tribes Adapt Where Bureaucracies Break
When the world tilts, a tribe tilts with it. Its elastic bonds enable adaptation.
Example: Patagonia
Employees rally around one clear mission: “We’re in business to save our home planet.”
They self-organize, switch roles, and sprint into new eco-projects—without waiting for permission. Staff turnover is only 4%, nearly unheard-of in retail.
Source: eu.patagonia.com | cascade.app
Haier’s Shape-Shifting Micro-Tribes
China’s Haier Group split a 90,000-person giant into thousands of “ZZJs”—tiny companies inside the company.
Each micro-tribe owns its P&L and chases customers like a startup.
This model, called Rendanheyi, allows rapid launches and shutdowns. In a market filled with chip shortages and shocks, Haier has stayed on top for 15 years.
Source: oro.open.ac.uk | corporate-rebels.com
Spotify: Tribal Thinking Meets Tech
Spotify adopted tribal language in its org chart. Engineers work in “squads” within “tribes,” supported by “chapters” and “guilds.”
This system balances autonomy with alignment.
When something breaks, decisions are made by those closest to the problem—not by distant executives.
That’s how Spotify keeps 615 million listeners online, even in chaos.
Y Combinator: The Power of Peer Networks
Y Combinator backs startups for just three months—but its tribal network, called Bookface, lasts a lifetime.
Need a designer or a funding bridge? Alumni often respond in minutes.
YC has launched over 4,000 companies and created more than $600B in value. According to CEO Garry Tan, the network—not the money—is their moat.
Source: wired.com
Morning Star: No Managers, Only Missions
Morning Star, the world’s largest tomato processor, operates without formal managers.
Each person writes a personal mission, negotiates commitments, and self-organizes.
Even during harvest season, when the workforce quadruples, coordination is smooth.
This culture helped Morning Star capture 40% of the U.S. industrial tomato market.
Source: corporate-rebels.com
Common Patterns Across Tribes
Across these stories, three powerful patterns emerge:
- Speed: Tribes shrink the gap between sensing and acting.
- Identity: People work harder when they belong to something meaningful.
- Scalability: Tribes grow sideways—like living cells—not in rigid hierarchies.
Out-Tribe the Chaos
For leaders navigating AI shocks, climate stress, and geopolitical swings, one truth holds:
You can’t out-plan chaos. But you can out-tribe it.
That’s our plan. Rebuild circles with shared purpose. Give them room to reconfigure. Watch them sail through VUCAos waves.
An Open Call to the Tribe
The VUCAos world is the same for everyone.
But being part of a smart (MBAs, PhDs) and strong (2700+ people) tribe is your advantage.
The mission is here. The door is open.
Join us. The time is now.
