The challenge won by an open organisation

To make a difference, you need the best of technology and the highest level of security.

Nethesis

Cristian Manoni is the CEO of Nethesis, a leading company in the development of open source software based in Pesaro. Its strength lies in its range of IT products (cyber security, unified communication, groupware) as well as technical assistance, monitoring and considerable training. Founded in 2003 by Manoni and two other partners, Luca Bartolucci and Filippo Carletti, Nethesis specialised in the development of IT solutions focusing on the simplification of Linux open source packages. However, the amount of work became so great that the founders had to completely rethink the business and create an operating system, NethServer, which remains open source.

“The difference between a group and a team is the absence of an alibi.”

Cristian Manoni, CEO of Nethesis

“The choice of an open organisation was a winning one: working as part of a team means we take decisions all together.”

There are few management courses that cover open organisation: the concept of this is to eliminate hierarchies and allow the group to unify in a harmony of purpose. At Nethesis, decisions are taken during weekly meetings when all 27 colleagues are allowed to have their say. The CEO sits at the end of the room and is a “primus inter pares”. This is the true value of a company that is more of a community, where each individual works as part of a team and has a share of responsibility. The I factor at Nethesis is not a noun but rather an adverb: together.

3 million euros in turnover with EBITDA of 515 thousand euros (2018 data), distribution of products in over 100 countries, 27 employees (there were 16 in 2017), tens of thousands of users and testers of their products throughout the global community created by Nethesis. The Pesaro company stands out for the absence of hierarchies and for its open organisation model of management: there is no leader, and weekly meetings are held in which everyone has a say. Each employee has a specific responsibility and is the point of reference for his or her colleagues.

Sustainability

The company does not produce tangible assets so the environmental impact is very low. However, everyone tries to do everything possible to reduce pollution in everyday life: recycling, correct waste disposal, use of compostable coffee pods and paper cups. There is also an idea to create a vegetable garden behind the office.

Digital innovation

At Nethesis, every person is a source of innovation. The company requires each employee to specialise in something and become the top expert in their chosen area. Developers spend much of their time studying new technologies and solutions. The latest developments are presented and explained to colleagues during weekly meetings for the purpose of comparison.