Cowboys and Drones: two modes of operation for small business

Everything that gets done is either done by a system or by a person. Systems are operated by drones. Cowboys get shit done in spite of systems. Systems involve people, but no single person has a view over the entire goal. If you want to get a new passport, it’s almost certain that a system does this for you. Each person does some tiny part, the entire process is probably much longer and more frustrating than it needs to be, but it probably eventually works. Systems optimize for consistency and long-term reliability (no single person can damage the system, either by doing the wrong thing, or by leaving). By contrast, a dedicated and smart person can often seem to achieve the same thing at a much lower cost (time, money, frustration, everything). They are usually a maverick who doesn’t like playing by the rules, or prefers to operate in places with very few rules. Many people respect only cowboys or only drones. Cowboys don’t like drones because they have no creativity, they follow ru ... Read full article.