9 Rules for Successful Crowdsourcing

Barry Libert and Jon Spector

“I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?”

—Benjamin Disraeli, British Statesman

Wikinomic communities can often perform real-world tasks faster, better, and cheaper than individuals. But building a successful community is no simple matter. Here, as in all aspects of business, from hiring to marketing, the price of great rewards is great risk. And that has never been so true as in the era of Web 2.0, when a seemingly minor mistake can snowball into a fatal disaster with lightning speed.

Here are a series of guidelines intended to help companies avoid some of the pitfalls along the 2.0 road. They reflect the experience of leaders who have followed that crowdsourcing route. ...