Governance & decision making
Subvert is a democratic cooperative. Members elect the board, the board hires the Director and oversees strategic direction, and the workers run the platform day to day. Decisions are distributed across these groups deliberately, so that the co-op can move quickly on operational matters while keeping fundamental decisions in the hands of members.
How decisions are made
Decisions at Subvert fall into three tiers.
Operational decisions are made by Worker Members. This includes everything from product development to customer support to routine financial management. Workers do not need a vote of the board or membership to do their jobs.
Strategic decisions are made by the elected board. This includes annual budgets, major partnerships, executive compensation, and approval of significant policies. Members do not vote directly on these matters, but the directors who make them are elected by members and accountable to them.
Fundamental decisions require a vote of the membership. This includes amendments to the bylaws, election of directors, and any merger, dissolution, or sale of the cooperative.
The full breakdown of who decides what, including consultation requirements at each level, lives in our Decision Authority Matrix.
The board
The board is made up of representatives from each membership class. Each class elects its own directors, so every kind of member has a voice on the board. It's like a representative democracy, with representatives service their constituent interests. Our board composition is nine seats: three Artist, two Label, two Supporter, two Worker. Directors serve three-year terms with staggered elections, so the board does not turn over all at once.
The board hires, oversees (and can fire) the Director and other executives, approves the annual budget, and handles strategic decisions on behalf of the membership.
→ Current board roster → How to nominate or run for the board → How to recall a board member
Member meetings
Subvert holds an Annual General Meeting once a year. The AGM is where members vote on board elections, on any member proposals on the ballot, and on any fundamental matters that require member approval. The board presents a report on the cooperative's business and financial condition at each AGM.
The cooperative can also hold Special Meetings outside the annual schedule when there is a matter that cannot wait. The board can call a Special Meeting, or members can call one with a petition signed by 5% of eligible members.
For any meeting to make decisions, a quorum must be present: at least 0.5% of eligible members for an AGM, or 1.5% for a Special Meeting. Meetings can be held online, so attending does not require travel.
→ The Annual General Meeting → How to vote
Member proposals
Any member can propose a change to the cooperative. The current path for an informal proposal is a conversation in the Subvert Forum, where workers, board members, and other members can engage with the idea directly.
For a formal proposal that goes to a vote at the AGM, the bylaws require submission to the board at least 60 days before the meeting, co-signatures from at least 5% of eligible members, and approval from at least one-third of the directors. The board can also independently add a member proposal to the AGM ballot.
The role of the forum
The Subvert Forum is where the cooperative thinks out loud. Members discuss the platform, give feedback on policies, raise concerns, and shape the cooperative's direction in conversation with workers, board members, and one another. The forum is not a formal voting venue. Formal decisions follow the bylaws. But the forum is where most ideas, policies, and changes start before they ever reach a ballot.
Why this works
The most common misunderstanding about cooperatives is that everyone votes on everything and that democratic governance makes them slow and indecisive. We do not see it that way. Day-to-day operations are run by people with the expertise and authority to make decisions quickly. Strategic decisions are made by an accountable board with high context. And members have the ultimate say on fundamental questions require that require a vote of the full membership.