Walk or Optimize

Strategic optimization killed them.

The team with the strongest animals, full supplies, and adaptive planning froze to death 11 miles from a supply depot. All five men. The team that ignored conditions entirely planted their flag first.

1911...Two expeditions racing to the South Pole.

Team A optimized for conditions. Good weather meant pushing hard. Bad weather meant hunkering down. They had the best equipment, the strongest horses, the most experienced crew.

Team B had one rule. Twenty miles every day. Good weather, 20 miles. Bad weather, 20 miles. Blizzard, 20 miles. They used dogs instead of horses. Carried minimal supplies. Drew a straight line and walked it.

Variance is the enemy. Not difficulty.

The adaptive team introduced variance with every decision. Push today, rest tomorrow. Surge when possible, recover when forced. Each choice compounded uncertainty.

The rigid team eliminated variance entirely. No decisions about whether today was a good day for progress. Just walk.

Roald Amundsen reached the pole on December 14, 1911. Robert Scott arrived 34 days later. Scott's team died on the return.

This is Loop, Not Line in action. Consistency compounds into something adaptive teams can't match.

The 20-mile rule works because it removes the decision.

The question isn't whether today is good for progress. The question is whether you walked.

Go deeper: The Momentum Engine