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What is a Loom

What makes a Loom so special?

What is a Loom?

A Loom is an organization where like-minded people are organized around the growth of an idea.

And the name is intentional: just like a literal loom, the whole point is weaving together the best parts of everyone involved to create something that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

In a Loom, members are encouraged to:

  • share ideas
  • track contributions
  • stay aligned asynchronously (so the project doesn’t die between meetings)

We’ve seen Looms represent all kinds of things, from early-stage startups to educational collectives. If there’s an idea that needs a community, a Loom is the vessel to house that shared workspace.

What people do inside a Loom

Looms tend to operate on a simple cycle:

Ideas -> Tasks -> Contribution Rewards

  • Someone proposes an idea (or improvement).
  • It turns into tasks the team can ship.
  • People complete tasks, share evidence of completion, and get recognized for their work.

Over time, Looms can optionally use that contribution history to support a shared ownership model.

What a Loom is not

A Loom isn’t a Discord server, LinkedIn, or another task board.

It’s the place where your idea lives; the home base for the work, the ledger of what’s been done, and the structure for where it’s going next.

And this matters even if you don’t plan on being part of a Loom forever.

One of our users put it best (paraphrased):

“It allows collaborators to come and go, which opens up way more growth potential. If I had to step away, say for grad school or something, the project doesn’t stall. Someone new can step in and keep it moving because there’s a centralized hub where the work is organized, tasks are clear, and progress is visible.”

Shared ownership (optional)

Not every Loom will opt into shared ownership, and that’s fine.

Some Looms might use a cooperative-like structure where things are more 1:1 representation. Others might keep a more traditional structure where admins approve what gets done. Different teams need different structures.

But what all Looms have in common is the culture we’re trying to build:

involvement + empowerment
(not “a black box where only the top decides what matters”)

We try to emulate the spirit of co-ops and other employee-owned organizations: members are empowered to give input on the direction of the organization and feel like they’re building something together.

Example: a “Brockhampton Loom”

A example I love: a group of artists trying to create a music collective.

Brockhampton is a band that famously started as a group of musicians, who found each other on online forums, with a shared interest in producing music. They meet up, formed a “boy band,” and became a massive success.

We want to create more Brockhamptons where shared passion is the fuel that helps everyone create their best work.

(Also: Bleach is my #1 played song of all time)

Join vs Follow

There’s a difference between joining a Loom and following a Loom.

  • Follow a Loom if you just want to keep track of an interesting team and see their updates in the community timeline.
  • Join a Loom if you want to contribute and be part of the organization itself.

Also: Looms are a great space for mentors/investors (or honestly anyone supportive) to stay updated on progress and be part of the discussion around where the idea is going.

What to do next