Tempo, Maneuverability, InitiativeMichael T. Nygard - Cognitect

Michael T. Nygard✤ Developer

✤ Operator

✤ Systems Thinker

✤ Author

@mtnygardwww.michaelnygard.com

A Story of Despair and Hope

“Web Site”

When in doubt,

biopsy something.

Fast feedback

Fast feedback ?

Pilot-Induced Oscillation(PIO)

Noise Amplification

Maneuverability

John Boyd

✤ Fighter pilot✤ Air combat

instructor✤ Military theorist

Kinetic to potentialPotential to kinetic

Energy-Maneuverability (EM)

Kinetic ⟷ Potential

Gain and Shed Momentum

Rapidly Change Maneuvers

Control tempo

Take initiative

Send ambiguous signals

Maneuver Warfare

Complex Systems &Self-organized Criticality

Avalanche Models

Catastrophe Manifolds

Earthquake Distributions

Non-linear, but also

undirected

How to cause nonlinear response

in a direction we like?

Lessons From Maneuver Warfare

Apply Disposability

✤ Infrastructure

✤ Code

✤ Dependencies

✤ Teams?

Set the tempo

Obscure your ultimate objective

Defer commitment

Tempo

Control tempo

Take initiative

Send ambiguous signals

“From now on, I control the tempo.”

Tempo is emergent.

Execution at all Levels

Horizontal and Vertical Integrity

Team Scale

✤ Safety through tools✤ Agile development✤ Integrated value chain

Group Scale

✤ Bounded context✤ Ubiquitous language✤ Product teams✤ Intent

Org Scale

✤ Discoverability✤ Temporary Assignments

Vertical Integration:

Intent

Operations Order - SMEAC

✤Situation✤Mission✤Execution✤Administration (or Sustainment)✤Command

Initiative

Sente

✤ Amazon creates AWS✤ Takes sente versus hosting providers

Sente

✤ Uber enters Thailand, undercuts tuk-tuks and cabs (sente)✤ Taxi drivers in Thailand convince gov’t to ban

Uber (gote, seizing sente)

Not Sente

✤ Uber in London. (sente)✤ Black cab drivers protest, disrupt traffic.

✤ Not sente!✤ Uber not compelled to respond.

Combine Initiative (sente) + Tempo

✤ Take initiative✤ Keep pressing advantage✤ Advance faster than opponent can catch up

Tempo, Maneuverability, Initiative

Michael T. NygardThank You!

Want the slides?Email mtnygard@zip.sh, Subject: “tempo”

@mtnygardwww.michaelnygard.com