Built CollectiveOS — an experiment towards a collective-based model of work
Shipped · Coda · Typeform · No-Code
Full working OS. Zero lines of production code.
Collective-based work model built using no-code
I joined iCreate to contribute towards experimenting with re-defining how enterprises manage freelance work. Instead of treating freelancers as individuals, the idea was to help them form collectives, work as teams, and take on larger, more structured projects.
The goal was simple:
Let experts focus on their craft and team leadership, while the platform handles everything else.
The core idea
This was positioned as an upgraded version of freelancing.
- Experts in a domain could start a collective
- Collectives could recruit teammates and work together on projects
- Clients hired collectives, not individuals
- iCreate handled legal, contracts, payments, marketing, and sales
This allowed creators to work like small studios or agencies, without having to build all the overhead themselves.
What we built
To test the concept and build a working model we leveraged multiple no-code tools (primarily Coda.io, Typeform, and automation layers), to design and implement the operating system behind this model, often referred to internally as CollectiveOS.
The system connected clients, projects, collectives, finances, and tasks into one structured workflow.
How the system worked
1. Project intake and assignment. All incoming project requests were collected via Typeform. Every request automatically appeared in a Projects Dashboard, from where projects could be reviewed and assigned to the right collective. Once financial details were added, the same project also appeared in a Finance View, keeping delivery and payments connected.
2. Central collectives view. A single Collectives Page acted as the internal command center — overview of all projects, financial visibility, list of all collectives and their status, and a safe read-only view for sharing internally. This made coordination simple without risking accidental edits.
3. Collective workspaces. Each collective had its own dedicated page that functioned as their workspace: landing page, assigned projects, financial visibility, shared resources, and tasks linked to active projects. When a project was assigned, all members were notified automatically and it appeared in their dashboard.
4. Task management. Tasks were managed at both individual and collective levels — a "Mine" view for each member, and a collective view for everything the team was working on. This kept accountability clear without adding complexity.
5. Project cards. Each project had its own detailed page. All client inputs from Typeform were visible in one place, and a one-click template ("Get Set Go") generated a ready-to-use task view. Everything related to that project lived inside a single card.
6. Client view. For transparency, a client-friendly view was created — Kanban-style task board, clear project stages, comment-only access. This allowed clients to track progress without interfering with internal execution.
Platform roles
The system was designed around three clear user groups.
Clients — create and manage projects, track progress and tasks, communicate with collectives, view invoices and project status.
Creators — create profiles and portfolios, start or join collectives, access collective workspaces, work on assigned projects and tasks.
Admin — review and assign projects, manage collective requests, track progress across the platform, coordinate between clients and creators.
Why this mattered
This system turned a complex idea into something operational.
- Freelancers could work as teams
- Collectives could scale beyond solo work
- Clients got structure and accountability
- The company could run operations without heavy custom software
The platform and work model later helped the company raise funding, validating both the idea and the system design behind it.
Key learnings
- Freelancing works better when structured as teams, not individuals
- Clear systems enable trust between clients and creators
- No-code tools can power real business models when designed thoughtfully
- Operations design is as important as product design
This project gave me hands-on experience in designing work systems, not just interfaces, and translating a business idea into something teams could actually run day to day.