A Function of Scale Draft 1, Ernest Prabhakar, 2013-08-08 The Sequel to "The Minion Machine" The Premise Real systems aren't linear, but have scales where the cost is fixed below, but astronomical above. The Goal Extend/Restrict the Minion Machine to capture what it means to operate at "optimal scale". The Concept Define a Multi-Minion Machine as a... Continue Reading →
The Minion Machine
The Action of Complexity Draft 2, Ernest Prabhakar, 2013-08-07 Inspired by a proposal from Christy Warren The Premise Using concepts derived from physics such as Energy and Time, we can gain insight into the nature of computational complexity. The Goal Devise the simplest possible physical system that captures the aspects of computation relevant to complexity... Continue Reading →
Summary: Retrospective Thoughts on BitC
In my opinion, BitC is the most innovative take on systems programming we've seen since the invention of C. While sad that it failed, I am deeply impressed by the thoughtful post-mortem by Jonathan S. Shapiro. Here are links to the various threads of his analysis (and the equally thoughtful responses): [bitc-dev] Retrospective Thoughts on BitC... Continue Reading →
The Celebration-Driven Church
[A follow-on to Spreading Effective Vision and The Agile Church, addressed specifically to the Church Spread of Kingsway Community Church.] In less than twelve months, together with the Holy Spirit, we have completely reinvented Kingsway Church. While our overall numbers may be the same, we have spread to two new neighborhoods, dramatically expanded our pastoral staff, and filled much of... Continue Reading →
Spreading Effective Vision
While discussing The Agile Church and Metrics versus Goals, I realized that our organization's primary motivation for adopting Agile practices is to spread the ownership of effective vision. That is, we start with a shared belief that vision ought to be: Effective: timely, clear, actionable & aligned with the organization's overall purpose Spread: distributed from the core... Continue Reading →
Metrics versus Goals
As a followup to my post on the Agile Church, our elder's board is having a spirited discussion of the appropriate role of metrics and goals when leading a church. My perspectives is that the main purpose of SMART Goals is to inspire operational metrics that enable continuous innovation. In other words, knowing where we... Continue Reading →
The Agile Church
The modern church is typically structured like a 20th-century business, with distinct, mostly autonomous departments focused on executing an agreed-upon "business plan" that changes very slowly over time. The church adds a layer of relationship and prayer, and relies on volunteer labor, but overall mostly matches the model invented by Alfred Sloan at GMover 50 years ago. The important thing to... Continue Reading →
What in God’s Name is Happening to School?
A primer on the ongoing transformation of education, for my cousin-in-law who runs a seminary startup. Use video to "flip the classroom" so teachers are more "guide on the side" than "sage on the stage." Shift the goal from passive content acquisition to constructive skill mastery: Khan Academy Vision - YouTube Personalize education for different learning styles and goals: Mass... Continue Reading →
Can Startup Thinking Solve the Innovator’s Dilemma?
When I discussed theories about how and whether Apple has solved the Innovator's Dilemma, I neglected to mention my favorite theory: Institutionalizing Startup Thinking (IST) Apple has solved the Innovator's Dilemma by institutionalizing startup thinking. This is characterized brilliantly by an Andreessen Horowitz post on Why We Prefer Founding CEOs: The technology business is fundamentally the innovation... Continue Reading →
Has Apple Solved the Innovator’s Dilemma?
Last October, along with many other tributes to the late Apple co-founder, James Allworth claimed that Steve Jobs Solved the Innovator's Dilemma. His explanation is that Apple avoids the traditional pitfalls that stifle innovation because: Apple hasn't optimized its organization to maximize profit. Instead, it has made the creation of value for customers its priority. This... Continue Reading →
iHack, therefore iBlog 
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