Try This: Better Means. A democratic, open approach to teamwork

Better Means is an innovative project management platform promoting transparency and equality among companies.

We’ve covered project management platforms before on TNW, but this latest offering, Better Means, is a whole new ball game. See this introductory video for a quick overview:

Basing the platform on a system of equality, Better Means allows teams to collaborate on projects in a fair, honest environment. A democratic voting system ensures everyone who wants to contribute to a project is able to have their voice heard. Contributors outside of the core team can also vote and comment on projects, allowing the wider community opinion to be heard, whilst not affecting the progression of projects.

See this more in-depth video for a walk-through of the main functions:

The transparent, open-source nature of the platform would work perfectly for volunteer-based organizations, but core team member Adele Burnes also had this to say about the most suitable groups:

The groups/companies that we are targeting are startup social enterprises however we recognize that this web app could have wide applicability. The reality is that it is a technological platform with a new way of working together and therefore more open minded tech oriented groups will find it easier to adopt

The options available for companies really make this a flexible platform. Adele mentions the optional credits system in the second video I’ve included, which is a democratic way for team members to vote on compensation amounts for those who contribute to a project. Companies who want to control compensation in their own way can simply ignore this feature.

And while the team at Better Means promotes openness and transparency, private options are available as well. For companies who are happy to keep all projects and members completely public, signing up is free, but for those wanting private options, pricing varies from $25 to $200 per month, depending on how many private workstreams and members you need.

Better Means is truly a new way of working within a team, and organizing projects. Adele sums up the best aspects of the platform here:

What we find particularly exciting about the platform is how open and decentralized it is. The Bettermeans platform allows individuals from all over the country and even world to form teams/companies that can collaborate together online towards a shared goal

For groups interesting in testing the waters of openness and transparency (or those already doing so), this is a great way to promote collaborate, democratic decision making and cut out the traditional hierarchy of business. Sign up here to test it out.