Principles of a Good System

Principles guide the utility of systems that work—for individuals, teams, and organizations.

Lower cognitive load through consistency. When things work the same way every time, you don’t have to think about how—you can focus on what.

Consistent naming, consistent structure, consistent processes. The predictability creates space for the work that matters.

Small gains accumulate. A system that captures learning, automates repetition, and builds on previous work creates exponential returns over time.

The best systems don’t just solve today’s problem—they make tomorrow’s problems easier to solve.

If you can’t find it, it doesn’t exist. Good systems make information and capabilities visible and accessible when you need them.

Clear organization, effective search, and intuitive navigation—so knowledge flows to where it’s needed.

Durability through flexibility. Systems that are too rigid break under pressure; systems that are too loose provide no structure at all.

The best systems balance competing forces—speed and quality, autonomy and alignment, simplicity and capability—adapting without rupturing.