Migros eliminated the middleman, inventing the private label concept.

Let’s start by reviewing PL’s origins: It was invented during tough times, sometime between the WW1 and the WW2. Also, those were the years leading up to the Great Depression. So, it’s not a coincidence that the PL concept is deeply rooted in low cost. For decades, people were conditioned to think that PL was equal to cheapness, both in terms of value and quality. This tactic worked like a charm for many decades. The combination of no frills approach and intentional lack of beauty served its purpose. But over time, masses got richer and had more disposable income. The proliferation of choice became a major hurdle for PLs. So, the no frills approach had to evolve…

The famous “No Name” brand is still very popular

The next step in PL’s journey was the “me-too evolution.” In a crowded market, the easiest way to be recognized was to look similar to the leading brand. In addition to instant recognition, resembling to the market leader had unconscious effects: Consumers would automatically associate some of the positive attributes of the leading brand to the PL. As long as the PL looked like a poor cousin of the market leader, it was OK. That approach too, worked like a charm for a couple of decades. However, as time passed by, retailers realized that their PL brands had a halo effect on the retailer’s brand: The characterless, me-too brands started to negatively impact the overall image of the retailer’s brand. It was time for PL to evolve again…

Me-too store brands were the next evolution in private label branding

Third generation PL brands look distinct. Really distinct… They are more than wannabe store brands. PLs are building their own personalities. Well-designed PL brands are occupying the shelves, giving CPGs a good run for their money. And they are relentless, infiltrating in every category. No longer they are offering just staples. Any product you can think of, you name it, PL has it. Retailers started to be proud of their store brands so much that they want those to be one of their key differentiators… And, “that” turbocharges the next and last evolution of PLs.

Private label brands now have their own look and feel. They look self-confident.

Self-confidence is an interesting thing: When you don’t trust yourself, people instinctually take notice and don’t trust you. But, when you have self-confidence, same people start trusting you. The more self-confidence you have, the more they trust you, the more they trust you, the more self-confidence you gain. It is a positive feedback loop. Now that PLs are building their own unique personality, people is taking notice and asking for more. That’s why today’s most successful PLs are becoming “destination brands.” People sometime switch supermarkets to buy a particular store brand. The future of PL looks really bright.

Canadian grocery store Loblaws’ clothing line Joe Fresh became an international success story. A true destination brand

On our next article, we will analyze the unconscious of PLs. Why do we buy PL? Is low cost the main motivator? What’s going on in our mind while picking a PL? Stay tuned.

I remember vividly what a high-ranking military officer once told me: “If you give three orders to a soldier, he’ll forget two of them, while mismanaging the third.”

He meant his soldiers are not the sharpest knives in the drawer. But was that it? Could it be that simple? Then, I tried to remember the last time I gave detailed instructions to someone, who followed them exactly to the letter. To my surprise, that has never happened. People accomplished their tasks, but never anyone followed my instructions like a robot. Turns out they never should! Here is why…

Us, human beings, have a tendency to separate ourselves from the rules of  nature. We are disillusioned to believe that we can bend, reshape or disregard natural processes. The irony is, we are the product of those rules and processes. Obviously, neither us, nor our organizations (whose name already suggest that it is alive!) are an exception. As Margaret Wheatley says, “Life is the best teacher about change.” So, if we want to change our organization, first we have to understand how change takes place in life.

The basic rule of life is that every living thing (a microbe, a cell, a tree etc.) has the freedom to create one’s self. That means it has the freedom to become whatever it wants. It also means it has the freedom not to become anything it does not want. Nobody can dictate an organism a particular outcome. For instance, you might move a tree to a new location, but you can’t tell if the tree would survive or not, because life voluntarily chooses when and what to react. If the tree survives, you cannot predict how different it might look. Similarly, you might incinerate an area, but life might reemerge in the same space. Nobody can impose his will upon life’s freedom to become. Only if the change in the environment is too much to disregard, and if the organization decides to react something magical happens: Life reorganizes around what is most important to itself. Two organisms could be exposed to the same information. But they might interpret it differently and recreate themselves completely distinctively. If an organism dies, it is because it chooses not to react to radical change:

Extreme disturbance + Inaction = Extinction.

On the other hand, if an organism survives a radical change, it means it interpreted the information and has already created a future that includes itself:

Extreme disturbance + Reaction = Co-creation.

The organism’s reaction cannot be predicted, so the creation cannot be anticipated, because life never reproduces – It self produces.

Humans and human systems (teams, organizations, communities) follow the same rules. We choose what to react. When we are given an order, we either take the order or not. If we take the order, we must interpret the information to make it our own. Only lifeless and dispirited organisms would react precisely as ordered. So, when your directions are slightly reinterpreted, it does not show resistance or stupidity. It actually means that the individual accepted your idea, and made it his/her own.

As the video above suggests, we must re-vision organizational change with these lenses. For human systems to change, they must be part of the change process. It is naïve to assume that people will follow our directives to the letter. Think about this: If soldiers don’t obey like a robot, why employees would? On the next article, we will discuss ways to change people and human systems.

Today’s actionable insight: Do not disregard humans’ freedom to become and don’t expect people to act like a lifeless machine. Top-down directives, imposed ideas or tyranny cannot work, because they are against nature’s rules.

Luxury is in the eye of the beholder.

Years ago, my then-employer wanted to publish a sector-specific “best brands” survey. Our plan was to choose a couple of sectors (or verticals), determine the top 10 brands in each vertical and then conduct interviews with industry experts. We decided that luxury should be one of our verticals. So, my job was to determine the best luxury brands in Canada. All I had to do was to come up with a laundry list of luxury brands and then use our collective judgment to select the top 10. Sounds straightforward right? I thought it would be child’s play. But what followed was months of research, a list that was reiterated maybe hundred times, and escalating frustration, which ultimately lead us to abandon the project. We simply couldn’t come to an agreement on what luxury is!

Luxury is one of those words that we often use, but seldom define. As soon as I started compiling a list of luxury brands, I realize that the meaning of luxury differs dramatically from individual to individual. For instance, a Ferrari F12berlinetta is clearly a luxury. So, Ferrari easily made it to our list. But, for the majority of Canadians, an Audi Q7 is also a luxurious item. If Audi makes it to our list, then how can we leave BMW, Mercedes and Lexus out? Where do we draw the line? Likewise, a $100,000 Hermes bag is clearly a luxury. But, does that make Hermes automatically in? Certainly, I can’t afford such a bag, but I can easy buy a bottle of Terre d’Hermes for $50. If affordability is a key pillar of luxury, then which Hermes should we focus on? As you see, the concept of luxury is so vast and so subjective that I thought it was impossible to draw clear lines. Then, I read Manfredi Ricca and Rebecca Robins’ insightful book Meta-luxury and my view to luxury has changed drastically.

Ricca and Robins spent years understanding the meaning of luxury. I think what they did is much more than an analysis: They discovered the archetypal meaning of luxury. I won’t give away too much detail, but it is safe to say that the authors clearly defined the four pillars of luxury. More impressively, for each pillar they identified three levels. The conclusions are so clear that many brand decisions become a no brainer. For instance, should you use “Since…” as part of your brand signature? When does it make sense to use “Made in…”? Or, should you extend into different categories? If so, what should be your criteria? These might be tough questions but surprisingly the answers are not that complicated once you read Meta-Luxury.

I worked with a variety of brands: B2B, B2C, government, NGO, destination… But, I always thought luxury is a category on its own. For luxury brands, relevancy might be inherently high, but true differentiation is fairly low. Many traditional differentiation tactics such as price discount or simplification would backfire. So, it is really important to learn about the Meta-luxury pillars and levels. Only then you could see that not every luxury brand has to be unique as there are degrees of rarity. The moral of Meta-luxury is that in luxury, just as in life, there is no silver bullet. Volume is not an evil, just as rarity is not a limitation. Success comes to those luxury brands that deliver on all four pillars and be consistent with their level.

Patriotism, or something greater?

I see many great Canadian brands suffering from the same symptom, failing to articulate and leverage what makes them special. Here is a relevant excerpt from Ikonica, Jeannette Hanna’s book about iconic Canadian brands:

-Why can’t we create powerful brands?

-Don’t you think Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire and RBC are powerful?

-But they are not world-class brands!

-But, Four Seasons is Canadian!

-Yeah but it is a luxury niche brand. We can’t create mass-market brands.

-How about Blackberry?

-Yeah, but…

The above dialogue gives us some hints about Canadians:

1. Canadian brands (just like Canadians) are chameleons: Abroad, not many people knows that Four Seasons, RIM and IMAX are Canadian, because these brands just blend in with their surroundings. Having the ability to blend does not mean to be bland. Actually, it is quite the opposite: It means possessing the intelligence to analyze your surroundings and adapting accordingly. Canadians have the unique ability to go with the flow and respect local culture. That’s why wherever they travel Canadians (individuals, group of people or companies) have the ability to be accepted as locals. That’s not a coincidence. There are so many Canadian celebrities. But everybody thinks they are American. See it yourself.
2. Canadians are warm and social people. Mrs. Hanna’s book offers many great examples and analysis. As mentioned above, abroad they just blend in. At home, Canadians try really hard to make foreigners feel accepted. The underlying motif (both at home and abroad) is the “sense of belonging.” Although Canadians are not exceptionally nationalistic, many of them proudly carry maple leaf tattoos. Though it sounds controversial, there is an archetypal explanation for that.
3. National brands like Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons embody the Canadian culture: Not flashy but always reliable. Not expensive but truly accessible and egalitarian. Not setting trends but always convening community. They might be “no-frills brands” but they are also very good citizens. It is unacceptable, or even a taboo for a Canadian brand to thrive at the expense of communities.
4. Canadians generally love self-depreciating humour. 2010 Vancouver Olympics Closing ceremony had an archetypal moment that Canadians will always remember: During the Opening Ceremony, one of the legs of the cauldron malfunctioned and the torch ceremony did not take place properly. That could be perceived as a huge scandal all over the world. But what did Canadians do? They made fun of themselves during the closing ceremony. (Watch this video from the 35^th minute.)

So what do we do with all these? How do they help us define the Canadian archetype? Is there something deeper that we should see? Well, maybe the below tale of Nasrudin Hodja, the famous Turkish, fictional sage could help us broaden our vision:

“Nasrudin used to take his donkey across a frontier every day, with the panniers loaded with straw. Since he admitted to being a smuggler when he trudged home every night, the frontier guards searched him again and again. They searched his person, sifted the straw, steeped it in water, and even burned it from time to time. Meanwhile he was becoming visibly more and more prosperous.

Then he retired and went to live in another country. Here one of the customs offices met him, years later.

“You can tell me now, Nasrudin,” he said. “Whatever was it that you were smuggling, when we could never catch you out?”

“Donkeys,” said Nasrudin.”

Sometimes the answer is so obvious that we cannot see it. We look at it, live in it without even noticing it, like a fish not noticing that it lives in water. That is the beauty and curse of the collective unconscious and archetypes. Now, let’s turn to Dr. Carol Pearson’s theory to connect the dots. According to her archetypal theory, all of the above are traits of the Everyperson archetype, one of the 12 dominant unconscious energies. Here is how she explains this archetype:

• Everyperson individuals are most fulfilled by helping others belong and fit in to the group. Naturally empathetic, unpretentious, and resilient, they often demonstrate their common touch and can motivate others to try hard to do their best. They’re usually excited and challenged when everyone needs to pitch in and solve a problem.
• Everyperson organizations often are very successful at providing a sense of belonging and human dignity to others; creating hard-working teams that take pride in their work; and fostering real camaraderie among employees.

Everyperson does not want to stand out; s/he wants to share the success. Everyperson does not want to be alone doing expeditions; s/he wants to belong. Everyperson does not want to alienate others (Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.); s/he wants them to feel supported. I once read a research, which said that Canadians feel “outward inferiority, inward superiority”. That is perfectly in line with the Everyperson archetype. Now take another look at the self-depreciating humour, the ability to blend and the maple leaf tattoo. Everywhere you look, you will see the great Canadian archetype: the Everyperson…

Indeed, Harlem Shake acts like a living organism would act.

First, let’s start with how change takes place in life… There is a fundamental rule in biology: “Every living organism has the freedom to create itself.” Think about it for a second: Can you forbid a living being from reproducing? You can interfere, but never forbid an animal, plant, bacteria to create itself. As expected, life uses its freedom without reservation. Did you know that your intestine is new every two days, your skin every two weeks, your lungs every three weeks and your liver every five months? It’s all because life has the freedom to create itself. Without freedom, there is no life.

This leads us to the concept of “auto-poiesis”: Life is its own author. Under any circumstances, life does not take order, instead it pays attention to information selectively, interprets it subjectively and reacts autonomously. This is very important, because life’s ability to interpret information and act freely causes unpredictable behaviour, which exactly what biological innovation is all about. “That” is precisely why you can’t give an order to a person and expect him/her to follow it to the letter. To respond to the order, the individual first has to decide to pay attention to the order, then interpret it to make the order his/hers and then act autonomously. To sum up: Biological innovation takes place when life uses the freedom to create itself and reacts in a subjective and chaotic way.

Now, if we look at Harlem Shake, we’ll see the auto-poiesis story clearly! Harlem Shake was established by Australian teenagers (a piece of information) and uploaded to Youtube (information becomes accessible). As more people replicated the original video and uploaded their own versions (selective attention and subjective interpretation), Harlem Shake rapidly became an Internet meme. By February 15, about 40,000 videos had been uploaded, totaling 175 million views (exponential innovation.) According to Wikipedia “the simplicity of the concept allows fans considerable scope in creating their own distinctive variant and making their mark, while retaining the basic elements.” Et voila! Harlem Shake is nothing but an innovation story based on biomimicry!

But, how can you apply auto-poiesis or Harlem Shake to corporate innovation? We now turn to Nilofer Merchant, the Jane Bond of Innovation:

“When you hold an idea like this — in a closed fist – you control it. It is yours. And no one else can access it. Ideas held tightly– as if in a fist – can’t be seen. Sure, if you try really hard, you might be able to see the little bits between the cracks. But they’re hard to see, or share, or steal.

But an idea held in an open hand can evolve. It’s given space to grow bigger. Ideas are actually organic, living things. If they have room to expand, they can quite possibly spread, and be picked up by others and grow into something much, much bigger than what you imagined.”

Had the Australian teenagers held the idea in a closed fist, probably they would still become popular within their local entourage. But, because they opened their fist, now the idea is far bigger than they could have imagined. It goes without saying that auto-poiesis applies to corporations perfectly. With a closed fist, you get a 1^st generation iPhone, which only had 15 apps (i.e. Calculator, map, clock etc.) But, when you open your fist, you create the App Store, through which you can sell 40 billion apps.

Let’s end on a funny note. Here is a 4-minute TED talk on how ideas grow. Watch it, think about it, make the idea yours and create your own version. That’s the beautiful process of auto-poiesis…

• Why is Czech Republic the home to Bohemia?
• Why the Velvet Revolution took place here?
• Why the 1968 Spring happened in Prague?

The new brand of Czech Republic fails to capture the “genius loci” of the country

In life, “why” is the most powerful question we can ever ask. “Why” takes us on a journey, in which we are clueless about the destination and the itinerary. If we can liken the Czech archetype to an artichoke, then metaphorically speaking, asking “why” would allow us to peel the leaves of the artichoke until we reach its very heart: The Czech Republic’s archetypal meaning. Arguably, here are the key elements of the Czech archetype:

1. The Czech culture values stability and it creates a balanced and caring environment: The “Velvet” Revolution, the Prague Spring and the Separation are all manifestations of Czechs yearning for harmony, order and peace. Actually, this is more than a yearning; it is a reality.
2. The Czech culture is humanist. Case in point: Pluralism, an accepting society (respect for the man on the street is the corner stone of democracy), and countless festivals (the joy of living together and celebration of the ordinariness of communal life.)
3. Czechs value artistic creativity and exploration. Countless innovations, famous Czech writers and artists as well as the notorious Czech beer tradition are all manifestations of the Czech genius loci, which constantly explores, envisions and innovates.

One thing that is worthy of our attention is the fact that Czechs haven’t been on a major war for almost two centuries. Obviously, this is not because they are not good at fighting, but because they choose not to do it, which reminds me a virtue of a warrior:

“A warrior’s highest task is not to pull out his sword, not to fight.”

Caroline Myss

Maybe we can imagine Czech Republic as a “wise warrior”, aiming to protect the peace. Mythologically, this is the role of Quirinus…

Quirinus, like Mars, was a war god. His role was to defend communities and their crops against disease. He drove off disease, rust on crops. He was the veteran warrior always on guard during the time of peace. So, if we liken Czech Republic to Quirinus, then what is the modern equivalent of crop disease? What can Czech Republic protect the world from? Here are three levels of potential enemies:

• At the political level: Czechs’ respect for harmony can be a beacon of hope for humanity and help heal the world, which suffers from conflicts, wars and sorrow. The Czech archetype can fight the root of all modern crop diseases: fundamental hatred.
• At the social level: In an ego-driven world, where individuals are taught and forced to fight for everything, the joyous Czech Quirinus can fight to reduce the world’s stress, boredom and ennui, healing our collective soul. It can also fight for the Aphrodite, our yearning for the nicer things and beauty in life and become a design hub.
• At the individual level: Globally, spirituality is on the rise. Pious people practice religion, secular ones turn to Eastern traditions such as mediation and yoga. Also yearning for creativity is on the rise. Individuals want to transform themselves and look for a North Star. Czech Republic can be the Mecca for innovation, where individuals as well as corporations could discover their gifts and create a better self.

Our above analysis reveals that Czech Republic could play the role of Quirinus, the guardian of peace. It can fight social diseases of modern era and help build a better world. This role, combined with good storytelling, and creative initiatives could be a unique, compelling and sustainable positioning for Czech Republic. What do you think?

“Half of my advertising is wasted, but I don’t know which half.”

Well, the answer might lie in the little game we just played…

Most communication efforts go down the drain because marketers ignore a simple fact: Our brain has evolved to remember concrete ideas better than abstract ones. Neuroscientists found that it’s easier to remember concrete words such as a “rock” than abstract words like an “impact.” Even though we are perfectly capable of thinking in abstract terms, our brain still prefers ideas that we can visualize. So, using just facts or numbers in communications is similar to trying to swim against the current: If our brain can’t visualize it, chances are the concept will be invisible (or unmemorable) to us. Here is a red flag: We should still use numbers, because our brain also needs factual info to support its logic. But, facts need to be seen in the right context in order to be understood and recalled. What we have to do is to take what seems invisible and make it visible. Here is an example…

1. Let’s start by writing a factual statement. We can throw in the facts and numbers. (i.e. Vancouver’s Stanley Park is 990 acre.)
2. Now, we could find a well-known area that is almost as big as 990 acres. But our audience must be familiar with the example we are using. For instance, if we are talking to Americans, we can use the Central Park in NY, which is 843 acres. (i.e. Vancouver’s Stanley Park is 990 acres, bigger than the renowned Central Park in New York.) Now, we have a rough idea how big the park is.
3. Alternatively, we can demonstrate the size of the park by using other numbers. (i.e. Vancouver’s Stanley Park is 990 acres, which is big enough to contain 198,000 cars.)
4. Or, if we want to engage our audience, we can ask a question, give a hint and let them figure out the rest. (i.e. Vancouver’s Stanley Park is 990 acres. Did you know you could park 200 cars in an acre? Now, imagine the size of Stanley Park…)
5. We can take it a step further and make the 198,000 cars more visible: (i.e. Vancouver’s Stanley Park is 990 acres, which is large enough to contain more than half of the cars in Vancouver.)

Each example is increasingly more visual and engaging than the previous one. The key here is to make the invisible, visible by “putting it in a relevant context”. What if we can’t find a comparable example?

Innovative Fitness, a Canada-based franchise, wanted to raise awareness for the excess amount of sugar people consume. They could have used facts, numbers and percentages, but the idea would stay invisible. After all, nobody questions the fact that we consume more sugar than we actually should. Also nobody would categorically oppose to the idea of reducing his or her sugar intake. But if our brain can’t visualize a concept, the idea becomes invisible. So, here is how the Innovative Fitness solved the problem:

Making the invisible visible

Today’s actionable insight: Numbers and facts are not evil. Use them as much as you could. However, on their own, they are forgettable. That’s why you should frame the numbers in a relevant context. Make the invisible, visible so that your audience can recall your message better.

“A problem is the thick outermost layer of a fantasy.”

James Hillman

Based on my experience, place branding projects fail, primarily because places don’t “brand” the right thing. Snow-capped mountains, stunning valleys or exotic beaches… Which country doesn’t have one of these? The Earth is a wonder-filled planet. No country is an exception. So, the moment a place decides to “brand” its natural wonders, it loses the branding game, which is built on relevant differentiation. Places have a tendency to brand their “common denominator”, because they come to the conclusion that no umbrella concept (the Capital of…) is wide enough to satisfy their different stakeholders. What works for tourism, doesn’t work for commerce. What works for commerce, doesn’t work for industry. Then the branding commitee ends up branding their natural assets. Is there another way?

The alternative is to find the highest potential of the place. Places should focus on their unique psyche, not their natural wonders. Instead of creating a laundry list of “things to see”, and then labeling themselves “the best kept secret of…”, they should ask themselves “what” is unique about their history. They should discover the place’s story and figure out “how” it can be relevant to their target audiences? They should question “why” their culture is distinct? Every one of the questions will lead to a richer answer. Romans used believe that every place had a spirit. They called it “genius loci: the spirit of the place.” Successful place brands are the ones who find their genius loci. Are there good examples of place branding based on genius loci?

Izmir, the city of many frontiers

A project that I was involved has an inspiring story. Izmir is the third largest city of Turkey, where the megacity Istanbul is “the Capital of…” everything. The second largest city, Ankara is actually the official capital of Turkey. So what could be branded as Izmir? It has beautiful geography, excellent weather, extremely rich history and great cuisine. But, so does Antalya, Athens or Beirut. So Izmir decided to brand its “mindset.” Throughout history, Izmir (Smyrna) has been a magnet for pioneers and pioneer thinking. Many “firsts” of the region took and still taking place in Izmir. What is unique about Izmir was not its natural beauties, but its habitants’ pioneer mindset. It is a city of many frontiers, both physically and mentally: It has the largest port in Turkey. It is located at the western extremity of the country. But, it’s also where parchment paper was invented, and where Homer wrote Odysseus, and where the first geometrical city layout was implemented, and where first hospital of Eurasia was built… Interestingly, people of Izmir still keep their frontier mentality: The region’s first natural life park, Europe’s first sport-specific hotel have recently opened in Izmir. There are endless such examples, because the “frontier mentality” is the genius loci of Izmir.

Today’s actionable insight: Such an umbrella concept worked for all of its stakeholders. If, instead of settling for its common denominator, Izmir can discover its highest potential, why can’t you? Ask yourself the three question listed below, open yourself to discovery and embrace the answer. Here are other important things to should consider when branding a place.

Let’s analyze the two campaigns and see what we can learn from their mistakes and accomplishments. Our starting point is the slogans. The original campaign’s slogan is “Know Canada.” Here is more on the idea behind it:

Canada didn’t need to be rebranded or redesigned,” explains BMD President and CEO Hunter Tura. “America needed to be educated. And that is the basis for our campaign: Know Canada.

Clearly, people who created the “Know Canada” campaign assumed that by having access to “factual” information, Americans would be convinced to visit Canada. Unfortunately, “learning” is not a message that “turns on” Americans, it might actually turn them off. In the age of knowledge that we are living in, many people already feel drowned in information. What they want is not to be taught but to safely “explore” That’s the great American archetype, right there! Think for a second: Explorers built America. Actually, most of the west coast was explored within the last 2 centuries. That’s why the explorer spirit is still very strong in the US. Do you think it is a coincidence that it was an American who landed on the moon first? Or, is it by chance that the Curiosity rover on Mars is built by NASA. Probably, Americans will be the first ones to explore microscopic extraterrestrial life (on Mars). Or, is it just a coincidence that “cool” predominantly originates from America? Have you ever though why Hollywood, the world’s myth-making capital is in the US? Or, that all the innovation comes from the Silicon Valley? These are all products of the dominant American archetype: the explorer. That’s why the slogan and the execution of the second campaign, “Explore Canada” is much more effective. It talks to the American collective unconscious.

On the next articles we will be talking about the other stuff that the “Explore Canada” campaign did right and explain how your brand can benefit from it.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ current slump demonstrated us the validity of systems thinking. The organization tried to enhance the overall performance of the system by improving particular parts. On paper, such thinking should work just fine. But in real world, where life organizes as systems, such thinking is counterproductive. If you don’t believe me, watch this hilarious and insightful 10-minute video, which was recorded 20 years ago. Russ Ackoff (R.I.P.), one of the great sages of our time, explains why the Lakers organization is in such a mess. If you are too busy, you may fast forward to the minute 5:50 of the video.

A system is not the sum of the behaviors of its parts. It is the product of their interactions.

Russ Ackoff