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Systems Questions

Purpose​

Explore relationships and interconnections to identify leverage points and unintended consequences. Understand how changes cascade through complex systems.

The Catalytic Question​

"How does A relate to C and what questions does that suggest?"

Core Questions​

  1. Feedback Loops: What are the feedback loops in this system?
  2. Leverage Points: Where are the leverage points for maximum impact?
  3. Cascade Effects: How do changes cascade through the system?
  4. Unintended Consequences: What unintended consequences might this create?
  5. System Boundaries: What's inside vs outside this system?

Application Process​

1. Map Components
   - List all system elements
   - Document each component's purpose
   - Note dependencies

2. Identify Relationships
   - Draw connections between components
   - Label relationship types (depends on, influences, constrains)
   - Note strength of relationships

3. Find Feedback Loops
   - Reinforcing loops (amplify changes)
   - Balancing loops (stabilize system)
   - Identify dominant loops

4. Locate Leverage Points
   - High impact, low effort interventions
   - Critical dependencies
   - Bottlenecks and constraints

5. Trace Cascade Effects
   - First-order effects (immediate)
   - Second-order effects (downstream)
   - Third-order effects (long-term)

Validation Checklist​

  • All components mapped with relationships
  • Feedback loops identified (reinforcing & balancing)
  • Leverage points prioritized by impact
  • Cascade effects traced (1st, 2nd, 3rd order)
  • Unintended consequences considered
  • Interventions designed at leverage points

Example: Template-Based Code Quality​

System: Code quality in monorepo
Components: Generators -> Templates -> Files

Feedback Loop:
  Better templates -> Better files -> Better patterns -> Better templates

Leverage Point: Generator/Template layer
  - Affects all future files automatically
  - Single fix propagates everywhere

Intervention Analysis:
  - Fix template: 1 hour
  - Fix 13 instances manually: 26 hours
  - ROI: 2500% (25 hours saved)

Cascade Effect:
  1st order: New files use correct pattern
  2nd order: Developers learn from better examples
  3rd order: Quality culture improves

When to Use This Lens​

Use Systems Questions when you:

  • Face a complex problem with many moving parts
  • Need to find high-leverage interventions
  • Want to understand why changes aren't sticking
  • See recurring problems despite repeated fixes
  • Need to anticipate unintended consequences

See Also​