
STRATEGIC ORG DESIGN WITH PEOPLE AND AI
Org design
drives performance.
Org Topologies is a strategic org design system: a shared map, a common language and a learning loop that help leaders and consultants make organizations fit for purpose — with people and AI.
WHY ORG TOPOLOGIES
The agentic age runs on org design.
Inside narrow mandates, AI speeds up each individual and team while the system stays stuck — more motion, same bottlenecks.
A Ferrari effect: swap every car in a traffic jam for a Ferrari and the jam stays. Fix the road first.
Org Topologies helps fix the road: see your design, choose what to optimize for, and change it step by step — so AI’s speed turns into business results.

Shape your organization’s intelligence. 10x the impact.
THE APPROACH
Change, MADE systemic
ILLUSTRATION · 10X ORG · CC BY-ND · DOWNLOAD ↓Org design sits between strategy and performance. MADE is the loop that keeps it fit, named after its four moves: Map, Assess, Design, Elevate. First study the design you have, then improve toward the design you need.
Studythe design you have
- 01MapPlace every unit by skills and work mandate
- 02AssessName the topology you have — and whether it fits
Improvethe design you need
- 03DesignImagine the organization you need, without today’s limits
- 04ElevateGet the change going with Elevating Katas
Four intelligences, shaped by mandates
What an organization can sense, decide and do does not live in its people or its tools. It emerges from the mandates each unit is given. Narrow mandates constrain intelligence; broad, coherent ones expand it. A position on the map describes organizational power, not human worth.
Work is done by agents of intelligence — org units: people, groups and AI. The same map of mandates applies to all of them — human, agent or robot. Place each by what it is allowed to learn and work on, not by its title.
DIRECTING
Coordination intelligence
Oversees the whole solution space with centralized control. Lacks skills to create value directly but adds value by coordinating others’ work through planning and control.
EXAMPLE · A business analyst writing requirements.
WITH AI · risks an illusion of control — unless it brings leaders closer to real work.
DRIVING
Adaptive intelligence
Focused on owning outcomes and shaping what gets built next. Blends discovery and delivery, using real customer signals to refine both the problem and the solution.
EXAMPLE · A three-person startup, or a team-of-teams.
WITH AI · a multiplier that eases cognitive load in new domains.
DOING
Specialization intelligence
Highly skilled in narrow domains. Excel at precision, quality, and efficiency within well-defined boundaries. Act as deep specialists focused on defined tasks rather than outcomes.
EXAMPLE · A line cook executing recipes perfectly.
WITH AI · automates tasks — but faster tasks only speed up local output.
DELIVERING
Flow intelligence
Creates value independently within a defined work area. Masters a complete Definition of Done, shipping results quickly while staying within defined boundaries.
EXAMPLE · An e-commerce search team.
WITH AI · as a teacher, lowers the cost of learning the wider system.
STUDY COMMON TOPOLOGIES
Three topologies, three goals
Each common topology combines different intelligences — specialization, flow, coordination, adaptive — and “shines” in a different environment.
Resource
Doing + Directing (specialization + coordination intelligences)
- OPTIMIZES FOR
- Utilization & predictability
- BEST FOR
- Stable, process-driven environments
- TRADE-OFF
- Rigid when strategy shifts
Delivery
Delivering + Directing (flow + coordination intelligences)
- OPTIMIZES FOR
- Speed & flow within boundaries
- BEST FOR
- Known work that fits the team structure
- TRADE-OFF
- Cross-cutting work needs coordination
Adaptive
Driving (adaptive intelligence)
- OPTIMIZES FOR
- Adaptability & learning
- BEST FOR
- Volatile, innovation-driven contexts
- TRADE-OFF
- Challenges existing control structures
ELEVATE · STEP 4 OF MADE
Elevating Katas
Elevating is a deliberate move right and up on the map. The katas are the moves: small, repeatable routines that change how the organization works. A menu, not a sequence: start with the few that match your most pressing constraint.
The katas are grouped by the five elements of Jay Galbraith’s Star Model™: change one element and the others must follow.
- 1Strategy Direction and Goals6 katas
- 2Structure Power, Authority, Organization7 katas
- 3Processes Information and Decision Flows9 katas
- 4Rewards Incentives and Motivation3 katas
- 5People Skills, Mindsets, Capabilities2 katas
Case studies rich in katas
All case studies with katas →LeSS Transformation in Wartime Ukraine: Building an Adaptive Organization at DIM.RIA
DIM.RIA's 50-person product organization replaced component teams and many manager backlogs with one Product Backlog and three cross-functional feature teams, cutting cycle time by about 80%.
Katas applied proposed
Elevating an EV Scale-up with Org Topologies
A scale-up flipped its 50-person R&D from component teams to three product areas in two days, then hit local-optimization pain and moved toward a single backlog.
Katas applied proposed
TESTIMONIALS
What practitioners say about Org Topologies
Leaders, coaches and consultants who mapped their organizations with Org Topologies.
It was so much easier to describe the FlixBus agile journey using Org Topologies™, which otherwise would need much more explanation and reasoning. Mapping product depth and team skills dimensions bridged the gap between applying frameworks and discovering ways to organize teams.
Lucy KarpovaAgile and Product Coach at Flix and SixtI used Org Topologies for the last two years myself, to answer questions regarding the agility of a team and the current project, and to identify the next steps moving forward. It supported me as a basis for alignment with our clients in identifying where we stand right now and, if there is a wish to evolve, which would be the right direction and actions.
Frank DohmenLead Project Management at IBM iXWe did this as a team exercise last week, gauging where on the map the teams thought they were. And then with Org Topologies, we were able to share our vision on where we want to go next. The great thing is that this helped us stay away from good/bad discussions and focus on something as simple as ‘we are here’ and ‘this is where we want to go next’.
Michael VoorhaenProduct Manager at Strobbo, ProtimeRead the Strobbo case →There are many tools out there that promise organizations the moon. Org Topologies™ IS the missing link that orchestrates the connection between the REAL issue at hand and RIGHT solution.
Anya FaingershScrum Master and Agile CoachThis framework-agnostic visual approach offers food for thought for anyone, who wants to actively shape the next steps of their business transformation journey. Mapping your teams with archetypes simultaneously show where you are and fosters the discussion, where you want to go.
Felix LagemannSenior ConsultantOne of their main motivations was to publish a model that gave practitioners a clear and specific language when talking about organizational design.
Carlton NettletonThe Scrum AcademyRead his analysis →

THE BOOK · POWERED BY ORG TOPOLOGIES
10X ORG
10X is not more activity. It is a tenfold increase in the organization's capability to learn, evolve, create value and stay strategically aligned.
A business novel with a working method inside. The CEO wants fewer hires and more AI. Hanna, head of HR, looks through the Org Topologies lens — and finds an org design misfit no tool can fix. Principles, maps and real case studies along the way.
- #1Best Seller · Business Management
- #1Best Seller · Management Science
- #1Best Seller · Strategic Management
LeanpubPDF, EPUB and web
“10X is a vote for humanity in an era obsessed with mechanical efficiency.”
WHAT REVIEWERS AND READERS SAY
“You might be surprised how disconnected your organization’s structure is from what you are trying to achieve with it. In this book, Alexey and Roland describe a practical approach to organizational redesign, offering a blueprint for success.”
Dave WestCEO at Scrum.org (USA)“Most management books add complexity. This one strips it away. And it does so while being genuinely fun to read, which... for a book about organizational design, is practically a miracle.”
Jürgen De SmetYour Chief Simplification Officer (Belgium)★★★★★ on Goodreads“Absolutely one of the best books in recent years—and certainly the best at explaining how to get the maximum possible value out of AI. … We purchased the book for our entire executive team, along with 10 additional copies to circulate among others.”
Taru Vasenius★★★★★ on Goodreads “The book’s core insight is clear: true 10X growth requires rethinking organisational structure—not just adding technology to existing silos. If you want real organisational improvement—not just theatre—read it to understand why fluid scaling and self-organisation are the key building blocks for 10X change.”
Quinton QuartelCreator of FAST Agile (USA)“Despite being written for the context of 2026, the book is a heavyweight packed with timeless organizational wisdom. My highlighter literally ran out of ink trying to mark all the nuggets for future educational use.”
Steinar HaldorsenStrategic Executive Partner (Norway)★★★★★ on Goodreads“A rare book that actually changes how you see organizations. … If you've ever sat through a reorg that solved nothing, or watched an 'AI transformation' stall because nobody addressed the underlying structure — this book names what you were feeling and gives you a vocabulary to act on it.”
Tomasz Zelezny★★★★★ on Goodreads “As someone who lives in the world of Flow, Kanban Strategy, TameFlow, and Org Design, this is the book I've been waiting for.”
José CoignardProKanban Trainer (France)★★★★★ on Goodreads“The core contribution of the book is simple but powerful: performance is structural. … What I appreciate most in the book is that it treats organizational design not as a consultant deliverable, but as a leadership responsibility!”
Jens Thiemann★★★★★ on Goodreads “For me, the Org Topologies concept brought new light and joy into scaling conversations, and I would highly recommend it for any organization, no matter how far they are on their agile journey.”
Zuzi ŠochováCertified Scrum Trainer; author of The Great ScrumMaster (Czech Republic)“In a way, reading 10xOrg feels like revisiting Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline in the Age of AI.”
Ilja Vi★★★★★ on Goodreads “Packed with practical tips that help me reflect and act in my role as a leader. This is a book you should always have in your back pocket!”
Joris VerheijDirector Anti-Financial Crime Operations, ASN Bank (Netherlands)“10X Org is one of the few org/design books I've read that genuinely integrates systems thinking, orgl design and AI leverage in a coherent way.”
Alena Hlekava★★★★★ on Goodreads “The characters feel so real that I kept thinking: "Yep, I've worked with this person." … For me, the storyline made the ideas stick.”
Zdenek★★★★★ on Goodreads “OT gave me the insight that growing companies suffer from a growing need for coordination … The Team-of-Teams, guided by a common vision and goal, requires less top-down coordination.”
Michiel de van der SchuerenDigital transformation lead, public sector, Rapid Circle (Netherlands)“With all the hype around AI, I was getting anxious about my future as a developer. This book helped me change my perspective and understand how to steer my career to remain productive and valuable in my organization.”
Mike Maikovych★★★★★ on Amazon.com “As someone who has worked for years with organizational design and large-scale agile transformations, I rarely get genuinely excited about a management book. 10x Org is one of those rare exceptions.”
Robert Briese★★★★★ on Amazon.de “I particularly liked the “Ferrari Effect” metaphor: AI can make individuals faster, but if the organisation still has traffic jams and roadblocks, overall performance will not improve.”
Natalia★★★★★ on Amazon.com “For me, Org Topologies™ has become the missing piece of the puzzle that connects agility, frameworks, switching costs, transaction costs, learning costs, to organizational design.”
Koen Siegers★★★★★ on Amazon.com“This book goes straight to the heart of the issue: the real bottleneck is rarely the technology — it’s the organizational design.”
Pelzl★★★★★ on Amazon.de “Good managers understand the relationship between organisational performance and how work and skills are structured. Great managers apply this in practice.”
Viktor★★★★★ on Amazon.nl “A dialogue-based book that you finish thinking "okay, now I see it." A really necessary book for managers.”
Francois★★★★★ on Amazon.fr “A powerful and practical guide for modern leaders. Clear thinking, actionable frameworks, and a compelling vision for combining people and AI to elevate performance. Highly recommended.”
Alexandra★★★★★ on Amazon.de “The exchange between novel and narrative, and explanation of how they helped organisations based on real life experience and examples, is a refreshing way of storytelling as well as educating. A pleasant yet educative read!”
Chiel★★★★★ on Amazon.nl
WHY THIS BOOK
Craig Larman on 10X ORG
Craig Larman, co-author of 10X ORG and contributor to the Org Topologies model, on why he thinks this book matters.
ACADEMY
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Learn with community
Practitioners share maps, and the authors join the conversation live in Slack.
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