Chrisopher Alexander is one of those weird synthesist people. Wrote a book on the design of Turkish rugs. His architecture and design books have influenced multiple cults of people (software, building architecture, society design). I love his A Pattern Language book. (see Alexander Patterns). Died Mar'2022. (more)

Nikos Angelos Salingaros (Greek: Νίκος Άγγελος Σαλίγκαρος; born 1952) is a mathematician and polymath known for his work on urban theory, architectural theory, complexity theory, and design philosophy. He has been a close collaborator of the architect Christopher Alexander, with whom Salingaros shares a harsh critical analysis of conventional modern architecture. Like Alexander, Salingaros has proposed an alternative theoretical approach to architecture and urbanism that is more adaptive to human needs and aspirations, and that combines rigorous scientific analysis with deep intuitive experience. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikos_Salingaros

series of books by Christopher Alexander: he has come to believe that Patterns themselves are not enough, and that one needs a "MorphoGenetic" understanding of the formation of the built environment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nature_of_Order (more)

customer service engine - help desk docs, chatbot, etc.

a written-document story-telling structure different from, say, the Amazon Meeting Memo or PR/FAQ (or a Pattern). “A good story structure contains a Situation, a Complication, a Question and an Answer: SCQA.” (more)

Leon Edward Panetta (born June 28, 1938)[1] is an American politician and government official who has served under several Democratic administrations as Secretary of Defense (2011–2013), director of the CIA (2009–2011), White House Chief of Staff (1994–1997), director of the Office of Management and Budget (1993–1994), and as a U.S. Representative from California (1977–1993). Panetta was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1993. He served under President Bill Clinton as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from 1993 to 1994 and as White House Chief of Staff from 1994 to 1997. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Panetta

Society Design theory: decisions at all levels can/should be biased toward "local" Agency. (more)

The Minimal Compact, an Open Source global constitution. Ensure the greatest Freedom for the greatest number, without simultaneously abridging the freedoms of others... The minimal compact is only interested in "freedom from," proceeding from the belief that it is quite sufficient to guarantee an explicit refuge from all forms of compulsion to provide for human happiness. Liberty when construed as "freedom from" has the important advantage of tending to organize a commons, a space where mutual, overlapping, conflicting or unilateral interests may be negotiated... This negative definition will prove unacceptable to many libertarians, for whom only an absolute guarantee under law of personal freedom is acceptable. By Adam Greenfield (2003). 2008 update: It’s goofy, it’s naïve, it’s grandiose and pompous. (more)

Culture meta-GameRule/Value of Tolerance toward SubCultures (outgroups?) co-existing and interacting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_pluralism - live and let live (more)

a Minimal Compact? (more)

Bill Gurley: The Dangerous Seduction of the Lifetime Value (LTV) Formula. ...people who have a hidden agenda or who confuse a model with reality can misuse it. (more)

aka Customer Acquisition Cost (sales & marketing cost / new customers). See AARRR (more)

aka LTV; over-all-time value of a single customer to the business (more)

author who works at microsoft https://25iq.com/about/

"Change Your Organization, or Change Your Organization" - Martin Fowler (according to WikiWikiWeb:ChangeYourOrganization) (more)

high agency - a personality trait (more)

CJ Gustafson: Is LTV to CAC the Nickelback of SaaS Metrics? Today I’ll explain why LTV to CAC is flawed, yet a consistent recipient of misplaced love. (more)

Craig Mod: Fast Software, the Best Software. Software that’s speedy usually means it’s focused. Like a good tool, it often means that it’s simple, but that’s not necessarily true. Speed in software is probably the most valuable, least valued asset. To me, speedy software is the difference between an application smoothly integrating into your life, and one called upon with great reluctance. (more)

Venkatesh Rao: The Locust Economy. Last week, I figured out that I am a part-time locust. Here’s how it happened. I was picking the brain of a restauranteur for insight into things like Groupon. He confirmed what we all understand in the abstract: that these deals are terrible for the businesses that offer them; that they draw in nomadic deal hunters from a vast surrounding region who are unlikely to ever return; that most deal-hunters carefully ensure that they spend just the deal amount or slightly more; that a badly designed offer can bankrupt a small business. (more)

Craig Mod: Goodnight 2023, What a Year, I love Antibiotics. (Focus on section about Morioka, followed by his referenced older pieces.) The most unexpected / delightful / slightly terrifying thing to happen “outside” of my core work this year was my recommendation / write-up on Morioka, and its selection as the “#2” (it’s technically not a “ranking” but everyone interprets it as such) place to visit in 2023, right after … LONDON. Ha ha! So, as you’d expect, this caused quite the commotion in Japan (Why?! Morioka?!) (more)