Tiers of Enterprise

Tiers of Enterprise is an internal OSE classification for enterprises. This assessment of Enterprise Tiers is based on the tendency of the enterprise to distribute vs. concentrate power.

Tier A

• Tier A: The Big Enterprise. The super-concentrator business-as-usual enterprise. Refers to extreme-performing generators and concentrators of wealth, such as typical outcomes of leading accelerators like Y Combinator. A good example of a Tier A enterprise is Apple or Google. Such enterprises are:

• Closed source at most or all levels, as far as Open Design of their products is concerned in the broad sense
• Focus on market monopolization as one of their key competitiveness strategies
• Lead to extreme concentration of wealth, and as a result tend to buy innovation more than to develop innovation
• Tend to violate human rights of factory workers, and of privacy and choice through the use of their products
• IP protection is critical to their success. Favor patent protectionism, trade secrets, secrecy, etc in their culture and operations
• Profit motive drives decision-making
• Little regard for natural capital
• 50% waste within processes can be achieved by continuous quality improvement
• Does not contribute fundamentally to Regenerative Development

Tier B

• Tier B: The Medium Enterprise. The non-distributors. Business-as-usual enterprise with capital-concentrative tendencies, similar to Tier A but at the 100+ million rather than billion dollar scale budgets.

Tier C

• Tier C: The social enterprise. Typically formed to serve humanity.

• May or may not be open source (see Open Design)
• Focus on serving people as one of their key competitiveness strategies
• Do not tend to extreme concentration of wealth, as social benefit pre-empts such drive
• Tend to protect human rights
• IP protection is not critical to success
• Social benefit drives decision-making
• Natural capital is considered
• 50% waste within processes can be achieved by continuous quality improvement
• May contribute to Regenerative Development

Tier D

• Tier D: The Distributive Enterprise. A social enterprise with an explicit focus of distributing power via Open Design up to the enterprise design.

• Is open source, OSHWA and FSF/OSI compliant
• Focuses competitiveness strategy on open, collaborative development
• Tends towards absolute distribution of wealth
• Tends to improve human rights of self-determination
• IP protection is antithetical to its operations and goals
• Skill building and distribution of economic power drives decision-making
• Natural capital is fundamentally regenerated
• Aims for zero waste within processes by continuous quality improvement
• Is founded on drive for Regenerative Development of ecosystems and humans