Decision making
| Framework | Elements |
|---|---|
| Chesterton's Fence | - Don't tear down a process until you know why it exists. - Prevent well-meaning but harmful change. |
| Gall's Law | - Complex systems that work start out simple. - Build small, prove it, then scale. |
| Goodhart's Law | - When a metric becomes a target, it stops being a good metric. - Vital reminder for any KPI or bonus system. |
| Hanlon's Razor | - Don't assume malice when confusion, bad info, or incentives explain the behavior. - Useful for defusing politics and blam when stakes are high. |
| Hickman's Dictum | - More than one cause can be true at once. - Helps when messy problems resist a single, tidy answer. |
| Hofstadter's Law | - Everything takes longer than you expect, even when you account for this fact. - A humble check on any plan. |
| Occam's Razor | - Start with the simplest explanation that fits. Complexity is often a symptom, not the solution. |
| Parkinson's Law | - Work expands to fill the time available. - Shorter deadlines often force focus, not failure. |
| Peter Principle | - People rise to their level of incompetence. - A nudge to test for future fit, not just past performance. |
| Shirky Principle | - Institutions tend to preserve the problem they were created to solve. - Explains why some systems resist even smart change. |
| Sturgeon's Law | - Roughly 90% of everything is mediocre. - Assume most ideas are average; hunt for the rare standout. |
| Sutton's Law | - Go where the money is. - Attack the obvious, high-leverage issue before chasing exotic problems. |