Scale vs. Speed: Why organizations slow down and Thinking in maps: from the Lascaux caves to knowledge graphs

Scale vs. Speed: Why organizations slow down and Thinking in maps: from the Lascaux caves to knowledge graphs

In the world of business and innovation, there is a constant tension between scale and speed. As organizations grow and expand, they often find themselves facing the challenge of maintaining the same level of innovation and agility that they had when they were smaller. This phenomenon, known as the scaling dilemma, is something that many companies struggle with.

When a company is just starting out, it is often driven by the desire to disrupt the market and bring something new and innovative to the table. This often involves taking risks and pushing the boundaries of what is possible. However, as the company grows and starts to gain more customers, their expectations shift. Instead of wanting constant innovation, customers start to prioritize trust, reliability, and efficiency. They want promises kept, a lack of surprises, and reasonable prices.

To meet these changing customer expectations, organizations need to shift their focus from constant innovation to predictability. This means shipping improvements on a regular schedule and bringing a sense of stability to their offering. By doing so, they can reach a larger audience and make a bigger impact. Apple, Google, Slack, Instagram, and many other famous companies started with just a small team, and it was their ability to deliver on their promises that allowed them to scale.

However, as organizations grow in size and scale, they often find that the pace of innovation slows down. This is because the processes and structures that are put in place to handle the increased workload can stifle creativity and agility. In order to overcome this challenge, companies need to be willing to refactor their code from scratch. This means spinning off the "cash cow" and assembling a team to start something new from scratch. While the new initiatives may not work at first, the experience and persistence gained from trying new things will eventually pay off.

Thinking in maps has been a fundamental part of human communication since the very beginning. From hieroglyphs to flowcharts to road signs, maps have allowed us to convey complex information in a visual and intuitive way. One of the oldest known maps in the world can be found in the Lascaux caves, and it is a map of the skies, not the earth. This shows that humans have always had a fascination with mapping out their surroundings and understanding the world around them.

Leonardo Da Vinci and Isaac Newton are two famous examples of visual thinkers who used maps to explore and understand complex concepts. Da Vinci, in particular, believed that everything is connected and saw links where others saw separations. He understood the power of linking different ideas and disciplines together to create a more complete understanding of the world. Newton, on the other hand, used diagrams to explore scientific concepts and research ideas.

In the field of information science, ontologies are used to represent and define the categories, properties, and relationships between concepts. These ontologies allow us to create visual representations of our knowledge, beliefs, and questions. Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, had a dream of computers being able to analyze all the data on the web and understand the connections between people and information.

As we continue to explore the possibilities of knowledge management, the next logical step seems to be the metamodeling of thinking in maps. This would involve creating a new language and schema for representing our thought processes in a visual and intuitive way. By doing so, we can unlock new insights and connections that may not be apparent when thinking in sentences or traditional forms of communication.

In conclusion, the tension between scale and speed is something that all organizations must navigate. As companies grow and expand, they must find ways to maintain the same level of innovation and agility that they had when they were smaller. By focusing on predictability and delivering on promises, organizations can reach a larger audience and make a bigger impact. Additionally, thinking in maps has been a fundamental part of human communication since the beginning. By using visual representations of our knowledge and beliefs, we can unlock new insights and connections that may not be apparent through traditional forms of communication.

Actionable advice:

1. Embrace predictability: As your organization scales, focus on delivering on promises and bringing predictability to your offering. This will help you build trust with your customers and reach a larger audience.
2. Refactor your code: Don't be afraid to spin off new initiatives and start from scratch. While they may not work at first, the experience and persistence gained from trying new things will eventually pay off.
3. Think in maps: Explore the power of visual thinking and representation. By creating visual maps of your knowledge and beliefs, you can uncover new insights and connections that may not be apparent through traditional forms of communication.

In the end, it is the combination of scale and speed, along with the ability to think in maps, that can propel organizations to new heights of innovation and success.