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Melissa Valentine: The rise of the flash organization

The latest variation of our rapidly evolving workplace gathers teams of freelance experts online to solve specific problems. And then, just as fast, they are gone.
High angle view of office workers gathered around a table collaborating on a project.
Flash organizations represent a new way to bring together project based teams. | Shutterstock/Jacob Lind

This episode’s guest on Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast, management science and engineering professor Melissa Valentine studies a workplace phenomenon known as the flash organization.

These ad hoc groups of experts are assembled online and exist only long enough to solve a particular problem—perhaps a week or few months at a time. As soon as the problem is solved, the flash org dissipates, and the participants get paid for their time and expertise. It’s a whole new way to work.

Join us for a look at the future of the gig economy on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

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