Teamwork in MLM: Defining Responsibilities When Launching a Digital Solution

According to a PwC study based on an analysis of more than 10,000 projects, only 2.5% of companies successfully completed all their projects within the deadlines, budget, and planned goals. The remaining 97.5% encountered deviations in at least one of these criteria. In MLM, this is particularly painful: any delay or error in the bonus logic can undermine trust in the entire network. At the same time, in many cases, the reason for failure is not bugs in the code, but unclear or incorrect expectations between the project parties.

One of the most common scenarios: the owner of an MLM project believes that the developers will "figure it out themselves" and solve everything for him. But the platform is not a strategist or a visionary. It reproduces what you have embedded in it at the project strategy formation stage. And if at the start it is not defined who is responsible for what—the result will be accordingly.

This article is for those who are preparing for launch or have already encountered difficulties in working with IT contractors and want to build a clear system of responsibility. We will show how to avoid typical mistakes that are not obvious at the start but critical at the scaling stage.

Responsibility Map: Who is Responsible for What

Project Stage	IT Team	Client	Third Parties
Marketing Plan Preparation	Provides logic consulting	Approves the final version	—
Technical Specification Creation	Assists in formalization	Provides business logic and scenarios	—
IT Solution Development & Launch	Implements the platform and integrations	Ensures alignment with the strategy	—
Testing	Conducts technical testing	Verifies business logic, accepts the result	—
User Support	—	Organizes client support	—
Financial Control	—	Responsible for auditing and profitability calculations	Financial consultants
Legal Matters	—	Ensures legal compliance of the project	Lawyers, compliance specialists
Technical Project Support	Ongoing development and maintenance of the IT solution, including rapid improvements and adaptation to business needs	Controls timelines and priorities	—

Common Mistake: Expecting the IT Team to Solve Everything

Some owners of MLM startups and even mature companies approach the platform launch with a request: "we need a system that will calculate everything itself." But strategy is not born inside the code. The IT team is a technical partner, not a strategist. It implements what has been approved and does not make decisions for the client.

An error in bonus logic is a strategy error, not a code error. The IT team can offer best practices, consult on accrual logic, participate in formalization and calculation of the marketing plan. However, the team's task is to implement approved decisions. The business model and accrual logic must be worked out in advance, jointly.

Why Control Points and Financial Audit Are Important

Control points are predefined moments at which the project "measures" the compliance of the result with expectations. At these stages, the team tests the code, and the client tests the business logic. Only in this way can deviations be corrected in time.

Without control points and testing, the project easily enters the risk zone. Typical failures:

Launch of marketing plan without checks → holes in bonus logic
Unverified financial model → losses already in the first month

Independent audit helps identify inefficiencies in the bonus system, test the business model, check the plan's sustainability on real numbers. This is especially important when launching unique schemes and non-standard structures.

Role of Leaders in Crisis Situations

In case of a technical failure, misunderstanding, or failure in accruals, leaders are the first to receive signals from the network. If they are involved, understand how the system works, and know what to communicate—this reduces escalation risks.

A good leader knows how to "defuse" tension, explain the situation in simple language, translate technical details into business context. This is especially important in the first months after launch, when every failure can be perceived as critical.

Training leaders on the basics of the platform, accrual logic, and escalation process is an integral part of release preparation. This is the key to trust and stability in the network.

Why Leaders Should Be Involved:

They are the first to receive questions from the structure;
They help convey the company's position;
They strengthen trust through dialogue.

Example: in case of a failure in accruals, a competent leader writes to the team: "Yes, there is a technical failure. We are in contact with the IT team, a solution is expected within an hour. All payments will be adjusted." This is a mediative role that is critically important for sustainability.

Summary

Responsibility is not about finding the guilty party, but a system of mature partnership. The platform is a tool, but strategy, marketing plan, and structure retention are the business's area. If expectations are not discussed—they will not be realized. The IT team does not make business decisions. To prevent the project from becoming a point of conflict, discuss roles in advance, implement audits, develop interaction.

We recommend agreeing on roles in advance when launching an MLM company.

5 Practical Steps:

Document areas of responsibility in the contract or terms of reference;
Participate in testing: calculations, scenarios, verification of accrual logic;
Appoint responsible persons from the client and IT sides;
Involve leaders and include them in communications;
Ensure transparency: regular sessions, control points, intermediate acceptance.

We understand how important it is to properly distribute areas of responsibility.

Write to us, and we will send you a list of employee roles necessary for launching and developing an MLM project: from product manager to lawyer and client support.

This document will help build a system, avoid failures, and ensure stability during scaling.