Matrix model¶
What's on this page
- Why Inkorporated uses a matrix
- Vertical vs squad responsibilities
- DACI to avoid the “matrix tax”
- Conway’s Law implications for platform boundaries
What this enables
- High craft quality and high shipping velocity at the same time
- Clear ownership when two managers touch one person
Verticals (managers own quality)¶
| Vertical | Owns |
|---|---|
| Engineering | Code health, architecture standards, hiring eng talent |
| Product | Problem definition, prioritization craft, roadmaps |
| Design | Design system, research rigor, UX quality |
| GTM | Pipeline, brand, messaging quality |
| G&A | Controls, people systems, legal hygiene |
| Security | Risk posture, detections, secure defaults |
| Family Office | Executive support quality and confidentiality |
Squads (leads own outcomes)¶
Squads are long-lived, ~6–10 people, mission-aligned (two-pizza). Examples:
- Platform Foundations, Developer Experience, Data Platform
- Growth / Acquisition, Monetization, Enterprise Launch
- Privacy/GDPR, Security Red Team, AI Ethics & Safety
- IPO / Audit Ready, Sustainability ESG, Internationalization
See Specialized squads.
DACI (decision speed)¶
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| D Driver | Moves work forward (often PM or EM) |
| A Approver | Single final decision-maker |
| C Contributors | Must be consulted (Legal, Security, …) |
| I Informed | Told after decision |
Full library: RACI & decision rights.
Conway’s Law¶
We design squads and API ownership to match the software architecture we want. Platform squads own shared platforms; product squads consume them through versioned interfaces — not ad-hoc pings.