The New Pirate Code: Mastering Fluid Teams in a Changing World

By Jennifer Jeansonne and J. Miguez

​To all bold researchers, practitioners, and innovators: the time has come to chart the course for the future of work. Let us write this new Code for Fluid Teams—one that guides teams to navigate the storms of uncertainty, harness the winds of change, and claim the treasures of collaboration and innovation.

The traditional ways of assembling teams are relics of a bygone era. Today’s high-performing organizations embrace agile assemblies, quickly forming and disbanding teams as needed. Like the pirate crews of old who rallied around a mission before disbanding to pursue new ventures, modern companies must master the art of mission-centric teams, collaborative crews, and achieving ad-hoc cohesion to succeed in unpredictable waters.

These teams adapt to specific challenges, whether designing workflows, generating creative breakthroughs, or responding to crises. They operate fluidly, adjusting their sails to the shifting tides of industry trends.

Why Fluid Teams Are the Future

Accelerated Pace of Innovation
Technological advancements and shortened product lifecycles demand rapid adaptation. Fluid teams enable organizations to assemble specialists quickly, delivering innovative solutions that keep them ahead of competitors.

Increasing Complexity and Interdisciplinary Challenges
Modern challenges require cross-functional expertise. From climate change to cybersecurity, the ability to rapidly assemble diverse experts is key to tackling the world’s most pressing issues. The need for diverse perspectives is more apparent than ever. Fluid teams foster cross-cultural and cross-functional collaboration, leveraging a varied workforce for greater creativity and problem-solving.

Economic and Organizational Flexibility
Market volatility demands workforce agility. Fluid teams offer a scalable, cost-effective alternative to rigid full-time staff models, ensuring resilience in unpredictable markets.

Organizations that master the formation, execution, and dissolution of short-term, high-impact teams will outperform those clinging to outdated models.

Fluid Teams: Key to Success for Startups and Innovation
Fluid teams are particularly useful for startups and technology innovation. Agile teams form around the development of specific products, solutions, or MVPs, often disbanding after proof-of-concept or when the hiring of a full-time employee is needed due to workload and long-term support requirements. This approach allows startups to access specialized expertise without the long-term financial commitment of full-time hires, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently. Additionally, fluid teams can help mitigate risk by providing flexibility in scaling up or down based on project needs and market conditions. By leveraging a network of on-demand talent, startups can accelerate development cycles, iterate quickly based on user feedback, and stay ahead in competitive markets.

Sharon Goldsmith, Executive Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programs at The Tulane University Innovation Institute, says that fluid teams can be a good option for startups who do not yet have the need, direction, or the funding to hire W2 employees. “In today’s fast-moving landscape, the ability to rapidly assemble and reconfigure teams is a competitive advantage”, say Goldsmith.  “Startups that embrace fluid teams can scale expertise on demand, drive innovation faster, and optimize costs—ensuring they remain agile in an ever-changing market.”

Fluid teams are already present in a variety of industries, where adaptability and agility are paramount:

• Film and Television Production: Crews are assembled for specific productions, including directors, actors, set designers, and editors, who disband once the project is completed.
• Music Festivals and Events: Teams coordinate artists, stage production, logistics, and marketing for a single event or festival, often recurring annually.
• Disaster Response and Relief: Emergency response teams are formed rapidly to address specific crises, often involving experts from various organizations.
• Architecture and Construction: Projects bring together architects, contractors, engineers, and designers who collaborate until the building is completed.
• Nonprofits and Activist Campaigns: Fluid teams form for advocacy, fundraising, or outreach projects tied to specific causes or events.
• Open-Source Software Development: Contributors from around the globe collaborate on a specific codebase or software product, often in a decentralized manner.
• Research and Academia: Researchers collaborate on specific studies or grants, often across institutions, then move on to new projects.

Engaging with fractional and contract talent has helped Bill DiPaola, CEO Nibbles Hospitality Group, dba Chicken Salad Chick, successfully open new restaurants and transition franchise operations of several restaurants under his operating umbrella. DiPaola says, “If a business doesn’t make money, then it’s just a hobby. So, making a profit means every role needs to be filled with the right talent at the right time,” He continues, “by leveraging fractional talent, I have been able to assemble a top-tier team of experts including HR, marketing and operations experts exactly when we needed them, without the long-term overhead. This approach gave us the flexibility to execute our vision efficiently and stay on budget. Seeing how seamlessly it worked each time I’ve done it, I know we’ll be using teams like this for years to come.”.

Steering the Ship: Best Practices for Fluid Teams
Mastering fluid teams requires more than just new tools—it demands a shift in mindset. While traditional best practices might emphasize structure and predictability, fluid teams thrive on something different: intention, interconnected thinking, and the courage to let go of control. 

Here are three essential best practices to steer your crew through uncharted waters:

1. Be Intentional 
Fluid teams are not traditional teams with looser job descriptions—they’re fundamentally different. That difference demands thoughtful design. Before setting sail, take time to think through the dimensions that shape your team: skills, roles, decision-making, communication, accountability, and cultural fit. Don’t do it alone—engage your team in the process. Ask what they value, what they need to succeed, and what motivates them to show up fully. Involving the crew in designing the ship ensures it’s seaworthy and built for shared success.

2. See the Connections Between Dimensions
In fluid teams, every design decision has ripple effects. Want to blur role boundaries? You’ll need to hire or contract people with broader skill sets—or provide structures for cross-training. Want to maximize autonomy? Then build strong feedback loops and shared context so people can make independent decisions without veering off course. Recognize how changes in one area affect others, and design with those connections in mind. Fluid teams function like ecosystems—balance and interdependence matter.

3. Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable 
This is new terrain. For leaders used to command-and-control models, fluid teams can feel disorienting. You won't have full visibility, let alone control—and that’s the point. The strength of fluid teams lies in their ability to self-organize, adapt, and execute with agility. As Steve Jobs once said, “It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” Fluid teams work best when you empower the crew and step back from the helm. Trust the talent, give clear direction, and then—get out of their way.

The Final Map: Sailing into the Future
Like the legendary pirates who roamed the seas, today’s organizations must embrace a spirit of adventure, adaptability, and collaboration. The future of work belongs to those willing to abandon the rigid hierarchies of the past and set sail toward new opportunities. By mastering the art of assembling and disbanding high-performing teams, businesses can ride the waves of change rather than be capsized by them. The treasure is out there—those bold enough to embrace fluid teams will be the ones to claim it.

Want to learn more, add your voice, and contribute to the integration of fluid teams as we chart the course with this innovative approach to project-based staffing? Interested in booking a team design consultation to help your company integrate fluid teams to help you prepare for the future? Get in touch! - [email protected]



About the authors

Jennifer Jeansonne: With over 15 years of experience in talent acquisition and workforce development, Jennifer Jeansonne is a New Orleans-based team designer passionate about helping companies build the right mix of people, resources, and tools to accomplish their goals and implement a culture that inspires teams to do their best work. As the founder and owner of JAJ Consults, Jennifer designs teams and processes that power businesses forward and helps companies build functional, beautiful, and efficient teams that are empowered to do great work together. As a fractional and contract people operations consultant, she leverages her diverse background across industries such as technology, startups, hospitality, non-profits, education, and healthcare to implement customized solutions that align with each client’s unique needs. Jennifer and her Chief of Staff, Clotilde- an English Labrador retriever, are inspired daily by the creative spirit of New Orleans and enjoy connecting with the amazing people who call this city home. 

J. Miguez: J. Miguez (he/him) is the founder of Ampersand IRC and the mind behind the Fluid Teams concept—a visionary strategist with over two decades at the nexus of startup acceleration and corporate learning innovation. A steadfast advocate for workforce fluidity, he is pioneering new frameworks that harness ecosystems and functional IP to transform how value is created and how teams adapt, learn, and thrive in today’s dynamic world. A founding organizer of StartItUpDE, the public-private partnership that catalyzed the Delaware tech ecosystem, Miguez also advises investors, founders, and enterprise leaders. He has taught entrepreneurship in both accelerator and academic settings. J., his dog Charlie (she/her), and his consultancy are based in New Orleans.