Tradeoffs Between Top-Down v.s. Bottom-Up Organizations

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Organizations face tradeoffs between top-down and bottom-up structures. Bottom-up organizations are more resilient and adaptable, while top-down control creates efficient coordination but is susceptible to being caught off guard. Recognizing these tradeoffs helps in finding the contextual balance point, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Small continuous nudges can effectively keep a system in balance, instead of large abrupt shifts.

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Why do organizations get slower as they grow? What can organizations learn from slime molds? What are the advantages of top-down organization versus bottom-up organization, and vice versa? How can organizations encourage serendipity? What use are doorbells in jungles? Why is it so hard for organizations to set a "north star" that is at once plausible, coherent, and good?

Alex Komoroske has over a decade of experience in the tech industry as a product manager focusing on platform- and ecosystem-shaped problems. While at Google, he worked on Chrome's Web Platform PM team, Augmented Reality in Google Maps, and Ambient Computing. He's fascinated by how to navigate the emergent complexity within organizations to achieve great results. You can find some of his public writing at komoroske.com.

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