It fails because no one can go first.
Accord lets groups make conditional commitments that only activate when enough people join — eliminating the coordination problem entirely.
The Problem
This is the coordination problem — and it kills collective action at every scale, from school boards to city councils to neighborhood groups.
People want to act but need assurance that others will too. Without that assurance, individuals stay silent and nothing changes — even when the majority supports change.
Traditional petitions don't solve this. Signing a petition is costless and doesn't actually commit anyone to change their behavior. Accord does.
Active Now
Built For
Accord works wherever collective action is blocked by the fear of going first.
These are illustrative examples showing what communities can do with Accord. Browse real active accords →
How it works
The coordination problem — where everyone wants change but no one wants to go first — is solved structurally.
01
Define the commitment. Set the threshold — the number of people needed before anyone is bound to act.
02
Sign on. Your commitment is completely dormant until the threshold is reached. Zero risk to go first.
03
Share your unique link. Watch the counter climb. Social proof pulls people in as momentum builds.
04
When the count hits, all commitments activate at once. No free riders. Coordination solved structurally.
The Accord Guarantee
You don't have to trust strangers. The mechanism itself makes free-riding impossible.
Every commitment is completely inert until the threshold fires. Signing carries no obligation until everyone is in.
When the threshold is reached, every commitment activates at the exact same moment. No first movers, no free riders.
If the threshold isn't reached by the deadline, all commitments expire automatically. No lingering obligations.
Get started
Free to create. Define your commitment, set your threshold, share your link. The mechanism handles the rest.