Constraints Design Behavior
Twitter launched in 2006 with a 140-character limit borrowed from SMS. The constraint was technical, not philosophical.
Users invented threading.
Move Fast, Break Less
"Move fast and break things" became the rallying cry of Silicon Valley.
Then it became a cautionary tale.
Voice Without Purpose
Google's core value: "Respect each other."
Translated into practice: "Find a way to include and
Trust Collapses Faster
One nurse made a medication error.
She reported it immediately. Exactly as trained.
Ten years of "Just Culture"
Voice Needs Practice
You tried to improve communication.
You added more meetings. You installed open-door policies. You encouraged "speak up culture."
The Military Model
The military has steep hierarchy. Chain of command. Rank matters. Orders are orders.
And yet military teams often have the
The Density Model
Netflix doesn't do psychological safety. Not the way the research describes it.
They fire people regularly. They have
Two Entry Points
Everyone says "build trust first." But what if you can't?
WhatsApp didn't start with
Five to One
Trust takes months to build. One lie kills it instantly.
Not symmetrical. Not fair. But that's the math.
Friction Forces Choice
We say "you can have speed or quality, pick one."
What we mean is "our trust is