Questions
Start with the problem you're trying to solve
Instead of browsing by topic, start with the question you're actually trying to answer. Each question connects to the biological mechanisms, heuristics, and frameworks that can help you think through it.
Growth & Scale
Questions about when and how fast to grow, and what changes as you scale
How fast should I grow?
It depends on environmental stability. Unstable markets reward fast, experimental growth (r-selection). Stable markets reward slow, quality-focused growth (K-selection). The question isn't 'how fast?' but 'what kind of environment am I in?'
Explore answer →When does complexity become a liability?
Complexity becomes a liability when coordination costs exceed the benefits of integration. Biology shows that scaling requires structural changes - not just more of the same. At certain thresholds, you need modular architectures, hierarchical organization, and specialized subsystems.
Explore answer →Organization
Questions about structure, teams, incentives, and coordination
What's the right team size?
Team size should optimize for coordination cost vs. capability. Small teams (5-8) minimize coordination overhead but limit capability. Larger teams increase capability but with diminishing returns per person. The 'right' size depends on task complexity and interdependence.
Explore answer →When should I centralize vs. decentralize?
Centralize when consistency, efficiency, and global optimization matter more than speed and local adaptation. Decentralize when speed, local knowledge, and experimentation matter more than consistency. Most organizations need both - the question is what to centralize and what to decentralize.
Explore answer →How should I structure incentives?
Align individual incentives with organizational outcomes through skin in the game. Those who make decisions should bear the consequences. But beware of metrics that can be gamed - good incentive systems measure outcomes, not activities, and include mechanisms to detect gaming.
Explore answer →Competition
Questions about defensibility, competitors, and market dynamics
How do I build defensibility?
True defensibility comes from occupying a niche that competitors cannot easily occupy - through network effects, accumulated advantages (data, brand, trust), ecosystem lock-in, or continuous adaptation that stays ahead of competition. The strongest moats often come from making yourself essential to an ecosystem, not just hard to copy.
Explore answer →When should I compete vs. cooperate?
Compete when you're fighting for the same scarce resource and cooperation wouldn't increase the total available. Cooperate when the combined value exceeds what either party could capture alone, and when cheating can be detected and punished. Most business relationships involve elements of both.
Explore answer →How do I respond to disruptive competitors?
First, determine if the disruption is real (are they actually serving a growing need better?) or illusory (different segment, not actually competitive). If real, your response depends on your assets: can you serve the new need better, or should you double down on what you do well and let some market go?
Explore answer →Sustainability
Questions about longevity, adaptation, and avoiding obsolescence
How do I balance short-term vs. long-term?
Maintain reserves for uncertainty while investing for growth. The ratio depends on environmental volatility - more uncertain environments require larger reserves. Never sacrifice the ability to survive a downturn for short-term efficiency, but also don't hoard resources that could compound if invested.
Explore answer →When should I pivot?
Pivot when the feedback signals that your current approach cannot succeed in the current environment - but distinguish between poor execution (fixable) and wrong strategy (fundamental mismatch). A pivot should be toward something you have evidence for, not away from something that's failing.
Explore answer →How do I avoid becoming obsolete?
Stay in the coevolutionary race. Your customers, competitors, and environment are constantly changing - you must change at least as fast to avoid falling behind. Build sensing mechanisms that detect early signals of change, and maintain the organizational capacity to respond.
Explore answer →Strategy
Questions about focus, diversification, and strategic choices