- The goal of a systems is an efficient use of resources to reach a goal.
- Many ideas are about creating systems to understand things.
- People Before Ideas
- People are not about efficiency. People are not for systems. Systems are for people, so people can spend more time being people.
An important distinction: systems enable people. Systems do not change people. Only people change people.
A System...
- Is focused on efficiency
- Often has a cumulative return for effort (especially true when it comes to computers). You can solve a problem once, and it's solved forever.
- Has a goal
- Is inflexible
- The best systems range of flexibility, and aren't brittle, but no system is completely agile
- Works best in stable situations where not much change is happening
A Person...
- Is a person. They aren't focused on anything other than becoming a better person.
- Does not have cumulative return.
- Goals?
- Is remarkably adaptable.
Designing Systems
- In the long run the best systems are decentralized
- Good systems are internally enforced: they align individual goals with the greater good (to the greatest extent possible)