Closer by Design: The Radical Transparency Behind Target Teal’s Work
In 2016, a small group of Brazilian practitioners came together with a simple but unsettling question. What if the way wework is the very thing getting in our way? From this inquiry, Target Teal emerged. Not as a company in the traditional sense, but as a collective experiment in working differently. They refused titles, ownership hierarchies, and managementroles. Instead, they chose to organize around shared purpose, mutual support, and a constant willingness to rethink everything.
This blog post is part of 80+ case studies of progressive organizations we created for the ZeroDX awards 2025. These organizations embody the principles of RenDanHeYi in their work structures:
Zero Distance to customer: Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace
Autonomy: Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution
Shared Rewards: Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success.
Target Teal took aim at the rigid structures they believed were stifling human potential. From the beginning, they embraced an unconventional format: a joint venture of independent entrepreneurs. Each member remained legally autonomous, yet they chose to work interdependently. There was no central ownership or management authority. All contributors participated equally in shaping the collective, adding to a shared resource pool and benefiting from it. Thisarrangement gave the group remarkable agility and resilience, especially in the face of complexity.
As their work matured, they realized that new ways of working needed new tools. Rather than adopt an existing model like Holacracy, they developed their own framework for distributed authority. They named it Organic Organization, orO2. It was not intended as a fixed solution but as a living system of roles, circles, and agreements. The method evolved through real-world use, not only within Target Teal but also through experimentation with clients. Instead ofoffering a prescriptive playbook, O2 provided a set of adaptable patterns. Over time, it became one of Brazil's mostreferenced frameworks for organizations exploring decentralization and autonomy.
In parallel with consulting, Target Teal positioned itself as a learning community. They published their meta-agreements, hosted open events, shared tools publicly, and welcomed collaborators into live discussions. This posture of openness helped blur the line between client and partner. Some organizations came seeking guidance and left with entirely new capabilities. Others remained involved, contributing to the ongoing evolution of the O2 method. Through this shared learning, Target Teal extended its reach far beyond the size of its core team.
In 2024, they introduced a new tool to amplify that learning. A conversational assistant trained on the O2 model wasreleased, offering real-time guidance to those navigating distributed work. Whether helping define roles or resolve decision-making blocks, the assistant made O2's knowledge more accessible. This innovation did not replace human facilitation but complemented it, allowing users to apply O2 principles as challenges arose. It also reinforced Target Teal's belief that tools should empower rather than direct. While technology extended their reach, trust and shared reflection remained at the center.
Their internal practices evolved in parallel. A portion of every invoice went into a commons fund, used to support infrastructure and invisible work. Revenue from educational offerings was distributed through an open process known as the money pile. In these conversations, partners reviewed not just effort and output but also each person's circumstances and needs. The aim was never strict equality. It was shared responsibility and fair contribution. The process itself became an expression of care and collective intelligence.
While many consultancies speak about complexity, Target Teal has embedded it into the core of how it functions.Complexity is not treated as a buzzword or a challenge to overcome, but as the very environment in which value is created. Each consultant operates as a fully autonomous agent, selecting projects based on alignment with their own sense of purpose and the needs of the context. Some choose to work independently, while others form temporary circles that dissolve once the work is done. Structure is not predefined but emerges through continuous sensing. This mirrors RenDanHeYi’s approach to organizational adaptability, where boundaries shift in response to user needs and new opportunities.
By avoiding fixed reporting lines or permanent teams, Target Teal preserves the fluidity necessary to respond in realtime. A consultant who identifies a market opportunity or a client's unspoken need can act immediately, without waiting for managerial approval. This responsiveness ensures that value-creating decisions are made at the edge, close to theuser. This reflects a core tenet of RenDanHeYi’s zero distance principle.
Yet what keeps this system coherent is not a central authority but a shared commitment to certain values: transparency, accountability, and deep listening. Instead of enforcing alignment through policies, Target Teal relies on relational practices such as peer feedback, open retrospectives, and regular check-insto maintain cohesion. Their capacity to act independently and stay connected reflects a kind of collective entrepreneurship, where everyone isresponsible for both initiative and integration. In this way, they model an advanced form of decentralization, not just structurally but culturally, grounded in mutual trust and sustained learning.
Their clients have included public agencies, startups, nonprofits, and large firms. In one case, a manager shared how four years of engagement with Target Teal helped her team move from individualism to mutual accountability. In another, a facilitator reflected that learning O2 gave him the confidence to act on tensions that would have once gone unspoken. These stories reflect what Target Teal prioritizes: not mechanical adoption, but personal growth and cultural renewal.
What distinguishes Target Teal is not only what they offer, but how they live their own principles. They do not sell apolished system. They build relationships rooted in vulnerability, honesty, and experimentation. Meetings begin with emotional check-ins. Agreements are revisited when needed. Disagreements are treated as signals to learn. The organization becomes a practice space for the future it hopes to foster.
Target Teal's work aligns clearly with the core tenets of RenDanHeYi. Their consultants operate with zero distance to the user, responding directly to needs and co-creating solutions. Decisions are made at the edge by those closest to the context, reflecting full autonomy. Value created is shared, not only through financial returns but through collective learning and strengthened community. Instead of reducing complexity,they help clients build the capacity to navigate it with care, flexibility, and purpose.
