MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive)

Biological Parallel

Organisms partition their bodies into distinct, non-overlapping organ systems (circulatory, nervous, digestive) that collectively handle all survival functions—no gaps, no redundancy where it would waste energy. This modularity enables each system to specialize while ensuring complete coverage of metabolic needs. MECE thinking mirrors this biological imperative: evolution ruthlessly eliminates both costly overlaps and dangerous gaps in functional architecture.