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No. 109 · People · Sociology

Pirate Code

Every group runs on rules of its own, and they predict behaviour better than the official ones.

The Pirate Code is the set of rules, often unwritten, that governs how a group really works: how decisions are made, how rewards are shared and what gets you thrown out.

To use it, decode the real rules when you join any group, write down agreements about money and shared work early, and name hidden expectations before they turn into resentment.

In the Almanac

“Black Bart’s articles”, 1719–1722 · “Valve”, 2012

Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.

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Pirate Code

Questions

What is Pirate Code?

The Pirate Code is the set of rules, often unwritten, that governs how a group really works: how decisions are made, how rewards are shared and what gets you thrown out.

How do you use Pirate Code?

To use it, decode the real rules when you join any group, write down agreements about money and shared work early, and name hidden expectations before they turn into resentment.

When does Pirate Code matter?

Pirate Code is one of the 60 mental models for people, the situations where you ask: Why do people act as they do, and how do I work with them? Within that, it belongs to “Cooperation and trust”, alongside Cooperation, Free Rider Problem and Game Theory.

What is an example of Pirate Code?

Two stories show it at work: Black Bart’s articles (1719–1722) and Valve (2012). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.

Which mental models are related to Pirate Code?

Trust, Cultural Evolution and Institutional Knowledge. Pirate Code itself comes from sociology.