How it actually works

No jargon. No math degree required. Just the idea.

The big picture

Imagine you have 100 people and a question that needs answering. Everyone writes down their best idea. That's 100 ideas.

Now put people into small groups of 5. Each group gets 5 of those ideas. They talk about them and pick the best one.

The winning ideas from each group move on. New groups form. Same thing happens again. Talk, discuss, pick the best.

After a few rounds, one idea is left. The one that convinced the most people in the most conversations.

Why small groups?

In a big crowd, the loudest voice wins. In a group of 5, everyone gets heard. You actually read every idea. You actually think about it.

And because every group picks independently, no single person can control the outcome. A good idea has to win over and over, in group after group.

How voting works

You don't just pick one idea. You get 10 vote points to spread however you want.

Love one idea? Give it 8 points and toss 2 to another. Think two ideas are equally good? Split it 5 and 5. Not sure? Spread it out evenly.

This means your vote says how much you care, not just which one you picked.

What about a million people?

Same thing. Just more rounds.

25 people2 rounds
625 people4 rounds
78,000 people7 rounds
2 million people9 rounds
Everyone on Earth14 rounds

It doesn't matter how many people show up. The process stays the same. Small groups, real conversations, best idea wins.

Good arguments travel

When someone writes a comment that other people find helpful, it gets shared to other groups automatically. The more people like it, the further it spreads.

So even if you're in a different group, you might see the argument that changed someone else's mind. Good reasoning doesn't stay trapped in one conversation.

Can it be cheated?

Groups are random. You don't know who you'll be with. And an idea has to win in every round to make it through.

The more rounds there are, the more groups of people your idea has to convince. You can't fake that.

The Collective