Build systems that don't need saints
Bruce Wayne is a mess. Batman is a system.
We can separate ideas from the person.
Great systems and great work often emerge from imperfect origins.
As Builders we have to train ourselves to spot - structure, pattern and fault-tolerance in a system.
The best systems are designed to withstand failures and they work despite of it.
It is important for us to separate the ideas from its authors. Painters still study Caravaggio’s light after knowing the blood on his hands. There are many such examples.
It is important to build systems that don’t need saints to run perfectly. If a startup’s integrity depends on the founder’s character, it is a red flag - something which needs to be corrected. The founder should be a node, not a god.
The best companies are run by replaceable people - and that’s their strength.
I also read about Public Choice Theory which talks about don’t design for angels.
A good system needs good incentives, policy which doesn’t enforce morality.
We need systems that enforces honesty mechanically not morally.
Thoughts -
- Make cheating expensive - require skin in the game, not promises.
- Systems scale, not people. Hence they need to be designed carefully and scientifically.
Heroic systems die with their heroes. Learning systems don’t.