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Our Workplace Constitution

What is this?

These are the constitutional rules of Smartup Zero — our governance, ownership, and financial agreements.

Purpose

This living document defines how we operate as a cooperative.

title: Smartup Zero Constitution version: v2.1 date: September 2025

Smartup Zero Constitution — v2.1

This Constitution is the living rulebook of Smartup Zero.
It is not static. It will adapt as we learn what works and what doesn’t.
Every change is logged in Git/Forgejo and requires open review and democratic approval.

Table of Contents

The 8 Ground Rules of Smartup Zero

  1. Prove Your Work
    Value is created through action, not assertion. All rewards (SC) are tied directly to completed, reviewed tasks recorded in the ledger. If it’s not logged, it didn’t happen.

  2. Earn Your Trust
    Reputation (SK) is built, not bought. Your influence grows when you mentor, govern, and contribute. SK is respect, earned through service.

  3. Separate Wealth from Power
    Money cannot buy authority. SC grants financial stake, but only SK grants leadership rights. Trusted members — not the wealthiest — guide us.

  4. Protect the Treasury
    Our stability is sacred. SC in circulation must always respect treasury reserves. Rules ensure credits can be redeemed safely.

  5. Act in the Open
    Transparency is default. All actions are visible, auditable, and accountable.

  6. Lead by Serving
    Leaders are accountable coordinators, not rulers. Captains are elected, serve teams, and can be recalled.

  7. Empower Your Team
    Teams are small and autonomous. They manage work and elect captains. Decision-making rests closest to the work.

  8. Evolve the Pact
    The Constitution is alive. Rules can change through proposals, discussion, and democratic votes.

1. Identity and Ownership

  • Every member has a public alias_name and a permanent UUID license_id.
  • A Smartup Passport consolidates alias, Matrix username, license info, and team assignments.
  • Only humans may hold ownership. Bots facilitate but never wield rights.

2. Licenses

Types:
- Campaign — Ambassadors. Earn SK only. 1 vote.
- Watch — Observers. Transparency and SK rights. 1 vote.
- Work — Contributors. Earn SC & SK. Required for Captains/Mission Leaders. 1 vote.
- Organizational — Institutional members. Same rights as Work. 1 vote.
- Founder — Steward role. Accessed via:
- Buy-In Path: Pay treasury equal to outstanding SC; accepted with 1,000 SK-weighted approval from current founders.
- Earned Path: Accumulate SK equal to outstanding SC while in governance role, then approved by founders.

Pricing per phase (Work/Watch):
- Validation: €200 / €100
- Design: €400 / €200
- Production: €800 / €400
- Organization: €1600 / €800

3. Smartup Credits (SC)

  • 1 SC = €1 in treasury.
  • Attacker earns 90%, Defender earns 10%.
  • Session assessments define payout: Excellent (95%), Good (85%), Adequate (70%), Poor (40%), Fail (10%).
  • Redemption rules:
  • Validation: treasury ≥ 3× outstanding SC; capped at 75%.
  • From Design: strict 3× rule, FIFO redemption.
  • Founding SC cap: 100,000 globally.
  • Founding SC remain pending until the Organization phase + first profit. Unlock then allows redemption.

4. Smartup Karma (SK)

  • Reputation currency, not money.
  • Earned for governance, mentoring, documentation, conflict resolution, and proposals.
  • Decays 10% monthly; activity restores.
  • Privileges:
  • 50 SK: can propose votes.
  • 100 SK: can run for Captain.
  • 200 SK: can be Mission Leader.
  • 500 SK: can join Leadership Team.
  • Voting weight: Base = 1.0. Max = 1.5 via SK bonus.

5. Teams and Roles

Teams include: Design, Development, Business, Media, Science, Operations.
Captains of each team form the Leadership Team.

Roles:
- Team Captain: elected. 1,000 SC stipend/month (paid in two 500 SC tranches). Must clock in governance work. Recallable.
- Mission Leader: appointed by Captains. Must have Work license + ≥100 SK. Coordinates and recommends payouts. Cannot override Captains.
- Seniors/Juniors: operate in ADM Attacker/Defender pairs.

6. Tasks and Assessments

  • Work is logged into tasks and sessions.
  • Defender confirmation required before assessment.
  • Assessment: Effort, Learning, Collaboration (1–10).
  • Maps to percentage payout. Partial payouts allowed for breakthroughs, discoveries, or quality documentation.

7. Validation and Oversight

  • No credits without evidence.
  • Democratic thresholds:
  • ≤100 SC: team approval.

  • 200 SC: community review.

  • Founder SC: always pending until unlock, reviewed by community.
  • Lazy consensus: 48h silence = consent.
  • Treasury rules:
  • Reverse 3× rule during Validation.
  • Strict 3× rule afterward.
  • Minimum €1000 buffer at all times.

8. Governance

  • Captains = elected, accountable.
  • Mission Leaders = appointed, supervised by Captains.
  • Leadership = coordination, not privilege.
  • Engelbot = routing and enforcement, never decision-making.
  • Amendments require proposal, open review, and vote.

9. Transparency

  • Book of Owners (alias + license ID) public.
  • Team/role structure, SC/SK ledgers public.
  • Names/emails private.
  • All Captain/Mission Leader activity visible in ledger.

Closing Statement

The Constitution defines how Smartup Zero works today. It will evolve.

Some rules will prove too strict, others too flexible; adaptation is the goal. Every change leaves a trace. Every member has equal standing in shaping the future.

Smartup Zero is a live experiment in democracy, sustainability, and collective ownership. This Constitution is our pact to build and refine it together.