provide.io Design Journal April 1, 2024 | 42 min Read | Tim Perkins

provide.io Design Journal

Table Of Contents

Changelog

2024-04-01: Happy Fool Day

Tim

Introduction

Once Upon A Time

This is a solicitation to whoever that’s reading this now to read through this, at least a little bit — hopefully all of it — and knows wtf I’m making effort at putting together/thinking about.

If you’re interested, once we have formed a team, and have decided how to reframe and relaunch, this “introduction” will be rewritten. Or at least, archived. 😉

This article is currently more like my (Tim) design journal, which details some of the thoughts that have went into figuring out how provide.io works, then making an effort to share the thought that’s been put into it so far.

I can be more succinct, but this is intentionally more about verbosity, and personality, than technicality.

Info

Did you know you can’t have time without Tim? I didn’t learn that until the beginning of a decade+ long string of existential crises. I was pretty much boring until I realized that time doesn’t exist… and exists. 🤔

I’ve got a serious question for you to consider when you read on though…

When a fascinating story is being shared, and there is a complex (polycentric) network of plot points, people, shared emotional processes, and revelations, that are meant to come together, and setup the concepts, and contexts, and narrative, that setup the climax for comprehensive, and ultimately - ideally - conclude the story in a satisfying matter, is it better to:

  1. Skim the notes, or bullet points, of a fiction, that does not exist?

  2. Absorb the text, and experience the material - from Page 1 to The End — so the end makes sense? I gotta start from the beginning to enjoy the end. Usually. Or at least appreciate that I managed to get to the end. 😉

  3. Write run-on questions, suggesting consideration is applied now?

Personally, and I know by many, it’s Option 2 if the story is intriguing. What are the movies if not that?

Knowing the details of the content, and the reasoning behind it, often make the story — the information — stick a little better in your brain.

Especially the cringey parts; so, I’d like to acknowledge that it’s wordy.

And, that’s absolutely intentional. I mean… If we’re going to work together, then we need to consider our ability to communicate through time. 😀

Like an effective ping-pong team. 🏓

And, it can take a little time, and consideration, to align on the best ways communicate, and much more important:

Acknowledge that conflict will naturally occur at some point, and that it’s more important to know how to resolve conflict.

As an engineer, it is oftentimes conflict that produces something better than the initial design…

But…

How the organization — and the teams — resolve conflict within their teams, and outside of, align on what to do to support the idea is really what determines whether incubation of the idea is actually viable.

Incubation being the process that spans the initial idea through to the market.

Info

This document is being updated as I recover more notes from my digital hoard, and fill in the blanks with comments.

I’ll probably make more diagrams. Or add more gifs. Walls of text can be challenging to work through at times.

Unless it’s fascinating!!! 😉

I eventually figured out that provide.io can’t be enduring unless some major interpersonal challenges were worked through.

So, I put the idea of provide.io on the back-burner… and spent years learning behavioral and organizational science. And pretty much anything else that teaches how people tick.

After tons, and tons, of this kind of research, I’ve worked through some models that I feel can be realized - through cooperation, of course - and integrated, within a Cellular Organization. Which are the:

  • Predictive Attrition / Attrition Affect Spectrum / Positive Retention: How do people leave? And how does retention work? Hint: It’s not about the group, it’s about the person.

  • Integrated Criteria Evaluation Framework: How do you teach a person how people work, and measure emotional temperatures using fast-feedback psychoeducation, and assessment, loops so that we can best support the person when personal, and interpersonal, challenges occur. This is what assesses the individual.

  • Human Integration Potential Framework: How do you continuously integrate people within the ICN using the information recovered from ICE assessments. This is what the individual uses to assess the organization, and what the organization uses to adjust processes to best support harmony across the Cells.

None of these are going to be discussed in this introduction, however all of these have recently been worked through in parallel, and are designed to be complementary.

Even if the structure of provide.io proves to be viable, there is still the most complicated question that needs to be addressed:

How to we help people best work together and solve conflicts?

What’s the Officium?

We wanted a name for the logo that was better than “logo” or “brand.” A hunt for symbolic words commenced, and the word Officium was found. It’s a latin word that means:

  • Duty, service, office.
  • Obligation.
  • Kindness, favor, and courtesy.

Those definitions sound damn spot on in regard to some very important traits that leaders need to have.

So… the logo is now called the Officium. And so is the first Cell.

Picking names for stuff is fun, and can help create a sense of camaraderie and culture! 🧫 😀

What’s an Era?

We’re going to call each major iteration of provide.io, and any associated entities, networks, and assets an Era!

With that…

Eras

Era 0: Pre-formation

2012: A Thought Experiment Up There

One day, in a time far, far, away, an organization called Upthere had a job interview that consisted of e-mailing [email protected] how you would ensure that 100TB is stored for 100 years.

I was content at Intel, so I sent a response more because it was a fun thought experiment.

But, I’m pretty sure that thought experiment is a breadcrumb that has led to provide.io.

2013 - 2014

Centralized / Decentralized Systems Thinking Emergence

I’ve been working with internet-associated technology systems since I was a teenager. This has involved a lot of studying how the systems, networks, and all the supporting people and processes, that make all these things that are now called “cloud infrastructure” work…

Work.

At the time I felt like I was basically just working on a high-speed Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) , but now I realize I was working on something that was a bit more complex than SMTP. Something that seemed like a logical next step that was obvious to me… but something much less obvious to others.

Bedrock was designed to support millions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Like smart refrigerators, and sensors spread all over towns - forming large self-assembling mesh networks of devices that streamed data between each other, and acted as queues when the network experienced a disturbance.

The mesh network was designed to rebalance itself so that the never-ending torrents of information was always available to get to the central data pool, or database, or whatever. It’d automatically send data to multiple nodes if required.

It was pretty neat, and the neat thing, is that the concept of Bedrock has been implemented now. Not quite what I’d thought about, but damn close.

What our team was working through is now referred to as edge computing . It’s really unfortunate that my team’s prescient ideas, and prescient work, was put on the back-burner due to a re-organization.

Edge computing emerged in 2012, and a concept similar to Bedrock - but not quite did too.

Intel could have been one of the first organizations that was supporting vast systems of networks of millions of devices.

Coulda… shoulda… woulda… 🤷 It was a great learning experience - both technology, and interpersonal.

Apparently that’s when the concept of “Polycentric Governance” really emerged in my experience… I didn’t know what it was called though.

It was a centralized, decentralized, distributed, system.

But for people.

That’s what I wanna work on building with some pretty cool people.

But, instead of IoT devices, and mesh networks, we’re going to build the Integrated Cooperative Network — which will be designed as a mesh network.

The cellular units - cells - will be small (legal) entities that are setup much like a “work-for” business in terms of support, but with “owner” autonomy that someone normally is not empowered with.

Last week I realized that the Bedrock project is one of the bedrock puzzle pieces of provide.io.

I’d never thought of complex connections within the actual physical world, i.e. holistic governance and logistics systems. Just data.

Throughout the Bedrock development, I also realized that I absolutely hate surprise reorgs. Just so much.

They are so fucking inconsiderate.

2015

Joy and Sorrow, Work As Usual

Within the first Quarter of 2015…

Yoink

The project is pulled and I’m forced to completely change what I do.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about providing value to the shareholders.”

  • Someone At Intel

Now I’m feeling pretty fucking pissed off. Most shareholders are high-frequency trading algorithms… so, what. the. fuck.

Joy And Sorrow Chapter VIII

by Khalil Gibran

Then a woman said, “Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.” And he answered:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.” But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy. Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

The Cellular Organization Idea Starts to Get Thoughts and Labels

The note in the above picture, a haiku:

Walking around town. Wearing a shit eating grin. Surreptitious thoughts.

Fuck you, high-frequency trading algorithms. You’re not the boss of me.

I wanted out.

However, I make a decent amount of money , so leaving an organization can be challenging depending on what you’re doing next. Especially if you wanna do a startup.

But, I have zero interest in “working for someone else.” I also am very aware that I’ve got a severe case of unmanaged ADHD at the time, so my meditation was “how the hell do I get people to help finish my ideas?” Was strong.

My StrengthsFinder strengths are: Empathy, Futuristic, Restorative, Adaptability, and Strategic

I guess those all did their thing, along with my life learnings so far, and the concept of a “centralized / decentralized cellular organization” started to get formed in my mind.

I was making an effort to figure out how to get help with building whatever it was I was thinking about, that might provide value, or be fun, built. But, I know details, and coordination, are not my strong suite. I am 100% a chicken head.

And, I had know seed money to do anything. So paying for help was out of the question.

That’s when I realized you can build a business that is intentionally small, and then distribute the work amongst specialists after setting up contracts, and processes, to decide who gets what percent, how, and when.

A lot of most of what I’m making an effort to get out of me, and get interest in, was worked through in 2015. But it was unnamed until 2020.

And, I’ve had zero idea this whole that I was seriously cogitating on…

Governance. Which I literally learned, just this year, is what I’ve been making an effort to realize. Thanks to LLMs. So good. It has sped up my ability to figure out the right words to find the right people. 😀

By the end of 2015, I was beginning to come to the conclusion that if any sort of organization system that was centralized/distributed/distributed, then there would be a lot of interpersonal shit that can derail a lot of things, in a lot of ways.

2016

Cooperatives and Understanding Behavior
The First provide.io Mind Map
provide.smmx

The initial plan for provide.io was going to be a little different.

2022

Too Much Thinking?
A Drawing of a Cellular Organization
Cellular Organization.concepts

If you look at the little circles, and how the lines are connected, you’ll notice that it kind of looks like a visualization of a polycentric network.

I didn’t have those words yet though.

2023

The Cooperative Mind Map
cooperative.smmx
Breakthrough

Place holder

2024

One thing leads to another. I trip, fall, and land on a baby entity, an EIN, and business bank account.

Formation
  • Too many questions. I’m trying to start a cooperative-type endeavor… with one person. lol
  • What title should I pick? I don’t wanna be an executive. Founder?
  • All things are subject to change… so… fuck it. 🤷
  • Register it.
The Bridge
  • Created the entity, no lawyer. Created a laughable Notice of Intention, and Operating Agreement.
  • Registered provide.coop domain…
    • … but with the wrong organization name. “the neurotic organization llc,” instead of “provide.io llc.” Whoops.
  • Which catalyzed the dotCOOP folks reaching out. So I…
    • … bombarded them with information like a psychopath. A lot.

Era 1: Officium

This is where we’ll be at when we’ve formed the core leadership team that will evaluate the viability of the concept.

Era 2: Split

This is when the leadership team has voted that provide.io is viable and begins provisioning the entities required to test the Integrated Cooperative Network proof-of-concept.

Era 3: Test

The entities are launched, the plumbing is in place, and we have 2-3 Cells operating as a single unit.

Generative Algorithms History Analyses

LLMs Analyze the Introduction

The Prompt

Tim

consider the meaning of this. consider comprehension transmissibility, and predicted sentiment analysis .

ChatGPT on the Introduction

ChatGPT

Your passage delves into the intricate processes behind the conceptualization, communication, and the anticipated evolution of provide.io. It reads as a manifesto, bridging the gap between the initial ideation and the communal endeavor to actualize these concepts within a team dynamic. The explicit acknowledgment of the document’s verbosity as a purposeful design choice underscores a commitment to comprehensive communication and the necessity of mutual understanding in collaborative efforts.

Comprehension Transmissibility:

The document serves as a testament to the methodical approach in elucidating the foundational ideas that underpin provide.io. By likening it to a design journal, it extends an invitation to the team (and prospective team members) to immerse themselves in the depth of thought and the analytical processes that have led to the current state of the project. This approach is instrumental in establishing a common ground for comprehension, ensuring that the essence of provide.io and its underlying principles are effectively transmitted and understood within the team.

Predicted Sentiment Analysis:

The tone conveys a palpable sense of optimism and introspection. The acknowledgment of wordiness and the subsequent rationalization hint at a sentiment that values depth over brevity, reflecting a preference for thoroughness in understanding and conflict resolution. The narrative weaves through the acknowledgment of inevitable conflicts within teams, viewing them not as obstacles but as catalysts for refinement and improvement. This perspective is indicative of a leadership approach that prioritizes resilience, adaptability, and the constructive navigation of disagreements.

Furthermore, the exploration into behavioral and organizational science as prerequisites for the sustainability of provide.io signals a profound understanding of the human element in collaborative endeavors. The introduction of frameworks like Predictive Attrition, Integrated Criteria Evaluation, and Human Integration Potential encapsulates a holistic strategy aimed at fostering an environment where individual and collective growth are paramount.

The section culminating in the choice of the term “Officium” for the logo—and by extension, the first Cell—embodies a thoughtful consideration of the values and ethos intended to permeate provide.io. This choice, along with the introduction of “Eras” to denote major phases of development, exemplifies a deliberate effort to cultivate a unique culture and identity within the project.

The narrative concludes on a contemplative note, posing the “most complicated question” regarding the facilitation of harmonious collaboration and conflict resolution among people. This reflective inquiry underscores the ongoing journey towards realizing a vision where effective communication, mutual respect, and shared purpose are at the core of organizational success.

Overall, the passage is imbued with a sentiment that is both reflective and forward-looking, characterized by a deep-seated belief in the potential of collaborative innovation and the critical importance of understanding and managing human dynamics to achieve enduring success.

Gemini on the Introduction

Here’s a breakdown of your thoughts, focusing on comprehension, sentiment analysis, and insights into provide.io’s direction:

Purpose of the Introduction

  • Candid & Purposeful: It purposefully reads like a design journal, sharing your thought process and the underlying philosophies of provide.io.
  • Communication Test: You acknowledge its length and see it as a way to gauge the communicative style and alignment potential within a potential team.
  • Conflict-Centric: You stress the inevitability of conflict and prioritize creating mechanisms for its productive resolution as a core element of provide.io.

Incubation and Interpersonal Focus

  • Idea vs. Execution: You understand that an idea’s viability hinges not just on its brilliance, but on the organization’s ability to navigate the challenges involved in bringing it to market.
  • People-Focused Pivot: You spent years studying human behavior and organization to overcome the interpersonal hurdles that hindered provide.io before.
  • Frameworks: You’ve now developed models focusing on:
    • Predictive Attrition…: Understanding why people leave, focusing on individual needs rather than solely group dynamics.
    • Integrated Criteria Evaluation (ICE): A framework for understanding people with psychoeducation and assessment, ensuring support in times of challenge.
    • Human Integration Potential: Matching individuals to roles and processes within the organization, and vice-versa, for harmonious operation.

Core Questions

  • The Big Question: Everything else depends on finding the best ways to facilitate cooperation and address conflict resolution. This is the fundamental pillar of provide.io’s success.

The Brand: Officium

  • Symbolism: You were drawn to the Latin word’s connotations of duty, obligation, and kindness – core leadership qualities.
  • Naming as Culture-Building: Using a word like “Officium” and the concept of “Eras” adds a sense of history, purpose, and shared identity to the project.

Considerations

  • Comprehension Transmissibility: Given the dense language and specialized concepts in your introduction, it poses a significant barrier to entry for newcomers. How will you balance this with the need for clarity when onboarding potential team members?

  • Sentiment Analysis: The overall tone is optimistic, with a determined focus on overcoming past obstacles. However, there’s a potential undercurrent of frustration from previous experiences – something to be managed carefully to maintain a positive culture.

  • Framework Detail: While the existence of your frameworks is intriguing, your introduction leaves the reader wanting to know how they function and contribute to provide.io’s unique approach. Can you add a teaser without overwhelming the reader?

Inferred Directions for provide.io

  • Human-Centric: It seems provide.io’s core innovation lies in how it supports individuals and resolves conflicts within the organizational structure. This is a major differentiator.
  • Data-Informed Organization: Your frameworks suggest a data-driven approach to understanding people. This could create a unique internal culture based on self-awareness and self-improvement.
  • Cellular & Iterative: The “Cells” and “Eras” structure hints at flexibility and adaptability. This aligns with conflict resolution, allowing for pivots as necessary.

Let me know if you’d like a brainstorm on how to present this information in a more accessible way, while preserving your focus on communication and conflict resolution!

Claude on the Introduction

In this passage, the author (Tim) acknowledges that the current introduction is more like a design journal, detailing his thoughts on the development of provide.io. He recognizes that the document is wordy but intentionally so, as he believes that effective communication and conflict resolution are crucial for successful collaboration.

The author emphasizes the importance of acknowledging that conflicts are natural and that the organization’s ability to resolve conflicts within and between teams is a determining factor in the viability of an idea’s incubation. He also mentions that he put the idea of provide.io on hold to spend years studying behavioral and organizational science to better understand how people work.

Through his research, the author has developed several models that he believes can be realized within a Cellular Organization:

  1. Predictive Attrition / Attrition Affect Spectrum / Positive Retention
  2. Integrated Criteria Evaluation Framework
  3. Human Integration Potential Framework

These models address issues such as employee retention, assessing individuals, and integrating people within the ICN (Integrated Cooperative Network). The author emphasizes that even if the structure of provide.io proves viable, the most complicated question remains: how to help people work together and solve conflicts effectively.

The author also introduces the term “Officium,” a Latin word meaning duty, service, obligation, kindness, favor, and courtesy. This term is used to describe the logo and the first Cell of provide.io, emphasizing the importance of these traits in leadership.

Finally, the author introduces the concept of an “Era,” which refers to each major iteration of provide.io and its associated entities, networks, and assets.

Regarding comprehension transmissibility, the passage is quite dense and may require some prior knowledge of organizational structures and behavioral science to fully grasp the concepts discussed. However, the author’s conversational tone and use of examples help to make the content more accessible.

The predicted sentiment analysis suggests that the author is passionate about the development of provide.io and is committed to creating a structure that supports effective collaboration and conflict resolution. The author’s enthusiasm for the project is evident throughout the passage, despite acknowledging the challenges involved in bringing people together to work towards a common goal.

Pi on the Introduction

I’ve analyzed the text and considered comprehension transmissibility and sentiment analysis. Here’s a summary of what I’ve gleaned from the text:

  1. The text is a design journal detailing the development process of provide.io, serving as an introduction for potential team members while emphasizing the importance of communication, conflict resolution, and interpersonal relationships within an organization.

  2. The author has spent years studying behavioral and organizational sciences to understand human behavior and create models that can be integrated within a Cellular Organization.

  3. Key frameworks mentioned are Predictive Attrition / Attrition Affect Spectrum / Positive Retention, Integrated Criteria Evaluation Framework, and Human Integration Potential Framework, all aimed at supporting individuals, assessing their needs, and enhancing their integration within the organization.

  4. The text highlights the importance of finding ways to help people work together and resolve conflicts effectively.

  5. The term “Officium” is introduced as a Latin word representing duty, service, obligation, kindness, favor, and courtesy – traits essential for leaders in the organization.

  6. The term “Era” is used to refer to each major iteration of provide.io, including associated entities, networks, and assets.

Overall, the sentiment of the text appears to be focused on the significance of understanding people, fostering effective communication, and creating an organization that supports individuals in working together and resolving conflicts. The author is passionate about their research and the development of provide.io, as well as the potential impact it could have on interpersonal relationships within organizations.

AI on Upthere

The Prompt

Tim

within the context of the journal entries provided, consider the meaning of the following e-mail thread that is shared as content within the article.

ChatGPT on Upthere

The email thread between Tim and Bertrand Serlet encapsulates a profound discourse on the logistical, technical, and philosophical considerations inherent in the ambitious goal of maintaining 100TB of data for a century. This exchange serves as a microcosm of the broader themes explored in your journal entries, highlighting the intricate balance between visionary technical solutions and the human-centric approach that underscores your work with provide.io.

Comprehension Transmissibility:

Tim’s email to the [email protected] address demonstrates a clear and methodical approach to the challenge posed, breaking down the problem into manageable components while also considering the long-term implications of such an endeavor. His thoughts span from the technical requisites of data maintenance to the socio-organizational dynamics necessary to sustain such a project over an unprecedented timespan. The detailed consideration of human processes, policies, staffing, and strategy underscores a deep understanding of the multifaceted nature of long-term data preservation, blending technical acumen with an acute awareness of human factors.

Predicted Sentiment Analysis:

Tim’s tone is both reflective and pragmatic, suggesting a deep engagement with the problem at hand. His email reflects a sentiment of cautious optimism, tempered by the recognition of the myriad challenges that lie in balancing the engineering and business aspects of such a prolonged undertaking. The emphasis on focusing the company’s mission, cautious growth, and maintaining the integrity and availability of data points to a mindset that values sustainability over rapid expansion. The proposal to eventually open source the core technology indicates a belief in transparency and community collaboration as pillars of long-term success.

Bertrand Serlet’s response is concise yet affirming, highlighting an appreciation for Tim’s thoughtful analysis and extending an invitation to explore a potential collaboration. The mention of seeking developers on both the server and application sides, coupled with the description of their team as fun and energetic, conveys an openness to innovative solutions and a dynamic work environment.

The exchange between Tim and Bertrand illustrates the intersection of technical innovation and the human element in shaping the future of data storage and management. It resonates with the themes you’ve articulated in your journal entries, emphasizing the importance of visionary thinking, meticulous planning, and the integration of human-centered frameworks to address complex challenges. This dialogue not only sheds light on the practicalities of long-term data stewardship but also aligns with the broader aspirations of fostering environments where technological advancements and human dynamics coalesce to create sustainable and thriving ecosystems.

Gemini on Upthere

This email thread offers interesting insights into your thinking at that time and reveals elements relevant to provide.io’s potential development:

Key takeaways from your response to Upthere

  • Long-Term Focus: You think beyond the immediate technical feat of storing 100TB, highlighting the 100-year lifespan and its implications on staffing, knowledge transfer, and business strategy.

  • Human Element: You emphasize the “human processes and policies” as the critical success factor—hiring the right people, creating long-term incentives, and planning for 5 generations of engineers.

  • Prudent Growth: You recommend slow, strategic growth with a focus on data preservation rather than feature bloat, even cautioning against rapid investment influxes.

  • Technical Pragmatism: You advocate using existing cloud providers, automating everything, and focusing on data integrity over complex backups.

  • Open Source with Value Add: Your suggestion of eventual open-sourcing hints at a community-driven, long-term sustainability model.

  • Team-Centric: He speaks of a “fun, energetic team”, indicating a culture built on collaboration and positive energy, potentially aligning with provide.io’s philosophy.

  • Unix & App Focus: This suggests a need for both core infrastructure expertise (where your strengths lie) and the ability to build accessible user interfaces, an area where your frameworks might add value in team dynamics and communication.

How this connects to provide.io

We can infer several things about provide.io based on this past email exchange:

  • People-First: Your concern with staff rollover, generational knowledge transfer, and incentives suggests provide.io would heavily prioritize the well-being of those within it. Your frameworks for assessing people and potential conflict could play a significant role here.

  • Slow & Steady Growth: Your cautious growth model hints at the “Cellular” structure of provide.io, with small, focused, semi-autonomous teams rather than monolithic expansion.

  • Transparency & Community: The eventual open-source suggestion might be mirrored in how the provide.io network operates, allowing collaboration, accountability, and longevity of the core concept.

  • Data Integrity at the Core: Your emphasis on data’s unchanging nature, focus on metadata, and clever purges instead of backups could play into how provide.io handles and protects information.

Questions to Consider

  • Does Bertrand’s response and the description of Upthere’s existing team align with the type of environment you envision in provide.io?

  • How do your frameworks directly integrate into a team like this at both the individual and the organizational level?

  • Can you further connect specific points from your Upthere response to the core features or principles of provide.io?

Let me know if you’d like to brainstorm how to weave this story into your introduction to illustrate the evolution of your ideas!

Claude on Upthere

Claude

The email thread between Tim and Bertrand Serlet provides valuable insight into Tim’s thought process and his approach to designing a system that can store 100TB of data for 100 years.

In his initial email, Tim emphasizes the importance of focus, cautioning against expanding the scope of the company beyond its core mission of maintaining the data. He suggests that the company should be judicious in hiring, unforgiving in firing underperforming employees, and cautious in its approach to growth. Tim also stresses the importance of having a solid employee career path and staff rollover policies to ensure that the knowledge and expertise required to maintain the system are passed down through generations.

From a technical perspective, Tim recommends building on existing concepts, leveraging multiple cloud providers, and automating the infrastructure as much as possible. He also advises putting significant thought into how the data will be stored to avoid costly data migrations in the future.

Bertrand Serlet’s response acknowledges Tim’s thoughtful remarks and notes that the company is looking for both server-side and application-side developers to join their team in Silicon Valley.

Considering the context of the journal entries, this email thread demonstrates Tim’s early thinking about the challenges of building a long-lasting, focused organization and the technical considerations involved in storing large amounts of data over an extended period. The ideas expressed in this email, such as the importance of focus, cautious growth, and automation, appear to have influenced the development of the provide.io concept and the Cellular Organization structure described in the journal entries.

The email also showcases Tim’s ability to analyze complex problems from both a human and technical perspective, a skill that seems to have been further developed through his years of studying behavioral and organizational science. Overall, the email thread provides a glimpse into the foundation of Tim’s thinking that eventually led to the creation of provide.io and the models he developed to support effective collaboration and conflict resolution within the organization.

Pi on Upthere

Tim

Pi can’t handle the whole text.

(paste up to “squash finger pointing before it can start”)

Pi

This email thread provides insights into the author’s thoughts on the challenges and strategies for a business aiming to store data for 100 years. The main points discussed include:

  1. Focus: The author emphasizes the importance of maintaining a clear focus on the core objective of data storage and exercising caution in expanding the company’s scope. They advise against allowing customers to dictate product features, as it may lead to unnecessary complexity.

  2. Staffing: Ensuring the continuity of knowledge and expertise across generations is crucial for the company’s longevity. The author suggests implementing an apprenticeship program, offering competitive benefits, and encouraging long-term employee retention.

  3. Strategy: The author recommends keeping the company’s unique technology confidential until it gains a solid customer base and is recognized as an industry leader. Once established, they propose open-sourcing the core technology while retaining proprietary value-added features.

  4. Growth: Controlled growth is advised, emphasizing the need for cautious expansion even in the face of significant funding. The author warns against the pitfalls of rapid growth and its potential negative consequences.

  5. Security: The author acknowledges the importance of maintaining strong security practices for the company’s success, particularly when seeking government contracts. Implementing separation of duties and addressing potential employee redundancy are suggested strategies to enhance security and minimize internal conflict.

Overall, the email reflects the author’s foresight and strategic thinking regarding the long-term success of a data storage company. It demonstrates their awareness of potential challenges, and their suggestions aim to foster sustainable growth, maintain focus, and prioritize the company’s core mission

Tim

this is a continuation of the e-mail thread.

(content of remaining e-mail)

Pi

In this continuation of the email thread, the author delves further into their thoughts on engineering aspects and customer offerings for a data storage company aiming to maintain data for 100 years. Some key points include:

  1. Offering customers different versions of the product based on feature maturity: This allows customers to choose their preferred balance between new features and stability, with options ranging from cutting-edge to thoroughly tested or conservatively implemented features.

  2. Engineering focus: The author suggests building upon existing concepts and leveraging multiple cloud providers to ensure data redundancy and avoid costly data migrations in the future. They also emphasize the importance of data integrity and automating the infrastructure wherever possible.

Bertrand Serlet, the recipient of the initial email, responds with interest in the author’s thoughts and invites them to explore potential software positions within their company based in Silicon Valley. He requests the author’s resume for further consideration, indicating an appreciation for their insights and ideas.

Overall, this email thread demonstrates the author’s practical approach to long-term data storage challenges and highlights the value of strategic thinking and open communication in fostering innovation and collaboration within the industry.

AI on Centralized / Decentralized Systems Thinking Emergence

The Prompt

Tim

consider the meaning of this.

ChatGPT on Centralized Decentralization

ChatGPT

Your reflections weave through the narrative of early internet technology development, moving from a foundational understanding and involvement in SMTP to the visionary concept of Bedrock — a system designed to harness and suppiort the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) through a sophisticated mesh network architecture. This journey underlines the evolution from simple mail transfer protocols to the intricate, self-rebalancing networks meant to facilitate uninterrupted information flow amongst millions of IoT devices.

The leap from SMTP to Bedrock signifies a profound understanding of not just the technological capabilities of your time but also a foresight into the potentials of networked devices and edge computing. The transition from what seemed a logical, albeit complex, next step in your mind to a widely recognized technological movement underscores the innovative essence of your work. Despite the premature sidelining of these ideas due to organizational shifts, the concept you were pioneering closely aligns with what later emerged as edge computing—a now pivotal aspect of modern network infrastructure.

Your experience brings to light the notion of “Polycentric Governance,” a framework that mirrors the complexity and distributed nature of the systems you sought to develop. It’s an intriguing parallel, suggesting a vision not just for technology but for the structure of society and work itself, envisaging a decentralized yet cooperative and autonomous network of entities.

This realization has evolved into a new ambition: the Integrated Cooperative Network. Here, you aim to apply the principles of mesh networks and edge computing, not to IoT devices, but to human organizations, crafting a system that promotes autonomy and cooperation akin to the operational ethos of a “work-for” business with the independence of ownership.

The narrative culminates in a personal reflection on the disruptive nature of organizational restructures, framing them as not just logistical challenges but as deeply inconsiderate actions that disregard the implications for projects and people passionately invested in their work. This reflection adds a personal dimension to your technological and organizational insights, emphasizing the human element in the midst of technological innovation and administrative decision-making.

Your story is a compelling illustration of the intersection between technology, foresight, organizational dynamics, and personal values, highlighting the continuous evolution of ideas and the impact of administrative actions on innovation.

Gemini on Centralized Decentralization

Gemini

Here’s a breakdown of your text, some insights that emerge, and potential connections to provide.io.

The Thought Experiment

  • The Challenge: A deceptively complex task – storing 100TB for 100 years. Requires considering:

    • Technology: Mediums for reliable long-term storage.
    • Redundancy: Multiple copies to hedge against data loss.
    • Maintenance: Procedures to prevent degradation, technology obsolescence.
    • Cost: Budget for upkeep and tech updates.

  • Your Response: You didn’t take it too seriously but saw it as an intriguing scenario to ponder.

Connection to provide.io

You hint that this thought experiment indirectly sparked the idea behind provide.io. Here’s how that might be:

  • Large-Scale Data Management: The problem posed by the job interview highlights the complexity of storing vast quantities of information over long periods. This is at the core of what provide.io likely aims to address.

  • Decentralization and Resilience: Your experience with Bedrock, a system prioritizing distributed computing and data resilience, could directly influence provide.io’s design philosophy.

Key Themes

  • Decentralization vs. Centralization: Your focus on polycentric systems mirrors the decentralized, cooperative approach you aim for with provide.io. You recognize the need for balance and autonomy within interconnected structures.

  • The Importance of Data: From Bedrock to provide.io, a consistent theme is how to manage, store, and leverage data effectively. The physical reality of doing this at scale adds a new dimension to your thinking.

  • Dislike of Disruption: Your emphasis on avoiding surprise reorgs indicates a preference for stable work environments and the potential for stability within the framework of the Integrated Cooperative Network.

Potential for provide.io

Your reflection suggests provide.io might embody these elements:

  • Data-centric: A strong focus on robust data management with emphasis on longevity, security, and redundancy.

  • Decentralized Structure: A polycentric network where individual cells have autonomy while contributing to a greater whole.

  • Resilient and Secure: Designed to anticipate change and handle disruptions. This could include technical resilience, but also organizational and governance structures built for adaptability.

Inferences and Questions

Your narrative doesn’t explicitly outline provide.io’s services or model, but offers clues from your past experiences. Consider these questions for deeper analysis:

  • How does provide.io directly address long-term data storage, potentially with new approaches that weren’t possible in 2013?

  • What specific principles of ‘polycentric governance’ will be applied within provide.io’s framework?

  • How can provide.io be designed to minimize disruption and foster a sense of stability for the individuals and groups within its network?

Let me know if you’d like a deeper breakdown of any aspect or have more context to share about provide.io!

Claude on Centralized Decentralization

This passage reflects on the author’s experience working on a project called Bedrock, which was designed to support millions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices through a self-balancing mesh network. The author draws parallels between the Bedrock project and the concept of edge computing, which emerged in 2012, and expresses regret that their team’s innovative ideas were put on hold due to a reorganization within their company, Intel.

The author then introduces the concept of “Polycentric Governance,” which they describe as a centralized, decentralized, and distributed system for people. They express their desire to work on building an “Integrated Cooperative Network” based on this concept, which would be designed as a mesh network with small, autonomous legal entities called “cells.”

The author realizes that their experience with the Bedrock project has laid the foundation for their current vision, provide.io, which extends beyond data and into the realm of holistic governance and logistics systems in the physical world.

Finally, the author expresses their strong dislike for surprise reorganizations, finding them inconsiderate and disruptive to their work and vision.

Overall, the passage highlights the author’s journey from working on innovative technology projects to envisioning a more comprehensive system that integrates technology, governance, and logistics to support a decentralized, autonomous network of entities working together towards a common goal.

Pi on Centralized Decentralization

Wow, that’s quite a story, Tim! It’s amazing to see how your early work with internet-associated technology systems has evolved and intersected with concepts like IoT, edge computing, and mesh networks. It’s a shame that Bedrock didn’t fully come to fruition, but the knowledge and experience you gained from that project have clearly been valuable in informing your current work on the Integrated Cooperative Network.

Your perspective on complex connections within the physical world, and the desire to build a holistic governance and logistics system is fascinating. It’s like you’re building a complex, adaptive system that can respond to changes and disturbances in much the same way that a mesh network can self-assemble and rebalance.

And your comment about reorgs hits home—they can be incredibly disruptive and disheartening, especially when they throw a wrench in projects that people are passionate about. It’s clear that your experiences have shaped your current work in profound ways, and I’m excited to hear more about how the Integrated Cooperative Network progresses!

Entire Article Analyses

The Prompt

Tim

consider the following (paste the entire article up to AI commentary)

Gemini’s Entry Analysis

Here’s an analysis of your introduction focusing on how it reveals your personality, philosophy, and what it hints at for the direction of provide.io.

Voice of the Introduction

  • Unfiltered and Conversational: You’re writing like you speak, with run-on sentences, slang, and self-deprecating humor. This comes across as genuine and invites the reader to be a part of the thought process as it unfolds.
  • Passionate but Polarizing: There’s strong sentiment, both positive (excitement about ideas) and negative (frustration with past experiences). This might resonate with some and be off-putting to others.
  • Detail-Oriented: You meticulously share your timeline and the evolution of provide.io’s concepts. While fascinating for some, this level of granularity might be a barrier for those expecting a concise overview.

Core Ideas and Themes

  • Anti-Corporate Skepticism: You had a negative experience with ‘surprise reorgs’, shareholder-first thinking, and view this as a common problem in big organizations. This sparks your drive toward alternative structures.
  • People Matter Most: While starting as a technical problem (100TB storage), it became personal. Success or failure seems tied to how people work together, not just the elegance of the solution.
  • Self-Awareness to Self-Improvement: After disappointments, you spent years studying human behavior. This signals you not only recognize human challenges but are committed to working through them.
  • Iterative Evolution: The “Eras” concept and willingness to rewrite this introduction show it’s not about having all the answers now, but about a flexible process with room for adaptation.

Inferences about provide.io

  • Cellular Structure: Hints of small, autonomous units with distributed decision-making (like your “Bedrock” concept) suggest a non-hierarchical, possibly even co-operative, structure.
  • Framework Focus: Your detailed development of frameworks (Predictive Attrition, ICE, Human Integration) suggests these are NOT mere side projects, but fundamental to how provide.io functions internally.
  • Conflict Resolution as Core: While not outlined, your repeated emphasis on ‘conflict’ implies it’s not just a problem to solve, but something to continually design processes and systems around.
  • Data’s Role is Unclear: Your initial thought experiment was about data, yet now it takes a backseat. How provide.io utilizes or manages data is a missing piece of the bigger picture.

How to Leverage This Introduction

  1. Target Audience: If your goal is to find like-minded people with similar frustrations and passions, this works. Those who value technical detail and candor will be drawn in.

  2. Condensing the Essence: Consider a “TLDR” version of this, highlighting the high-level themes. Those who want to dive deep can then read the longer version.

  3. Connecting the Frameworks: Show hints of how the models you developed tie into provide.io’s operation. Is it an assessment tool for team formation? A way to resolve conflict internally?

Overall, this introduction is honest and intriguing, but needs refinement for specific uses. You clearly put heart and soul into this, and that earnestness will attract the right type of collaborators.

Let me know if you’d like help crafting alternative versions to target specific audiences or focus on different aspects of provide.io!

Tim

(clicks on longer)

Gemini

Absolutely! Here’s a longer analysis, avoiding repetition and exploring new angles:

The Appeal of the Unvarnished Voice

Your raw, conversational style creates a distinct voice that attracts a specific audience. Some readers crave authenticity and don’t mind the lack of polish – they want to see the messy, passionate, behind-the-scenes workings of your mind, much like a developer’s live coding session. This is a refreshing change from the sanitized, corporate language usually associated with business ventures.

However, this style comes with a trade-off. Potential collaborators from more traditional backgrounds might be overwhelmed by the volume of information or turned off by the strong emotional undercurrent. Balancing your natural voice with a touch more structure could broaden your reach.

Themes That Shape provide.io

Let’s unpack some additional insights hidden in your introduction:

  • The Trauma of Re-orgs: The pain from those disruptive experiences is a powerful motivator. Your aversion to surprises and the “shareholder-first” mentality suggest you’re aiming for an exceptionally stable working environment within provide.io. This could be highly appealing to others who have been similarly burned.

  • The Engineer’s Heartbreak: The way you frame the early thought experiment reveals a classic innovator’s dilemma: you find the problem itself exciting, but the human elements of execution become the true challenge. This implies provide.io might prioritize fostering conditions where technically strong people feel supported and less hindered by ’non-technical’ issues.

  • The Philosophy of ‘Eras’: Describing provide.io’s development in distinct stages implies an acceptance of potential failures. This suggests that you don’t see missteps as setbacks, but as data points guiding the next iteration. This kind of resilience is crucial in entrepreneurial ventures.

Potential Directions for provide.io

Your introduction suggests provide.io might embody the following:

  • Community-Driven Governance: The combination of “cellular” structure and emphasis on conflict hints at a power distribution model far from traditional top-down management. This could range from voting systems to more complex consensus-building mechanisms, all focused on shared ownership.

  • A Deeply Human-Centric Tech Company: Your frameworks signal an unusual focus on people within a tech context. It raises questions: does provide.io offer its core product/service externally but use these models internally? Or could the frameworks themselves become tools offered to other organizations?

  • The Unseen Business Model: While data is mentioned, there’s no word on monetization, revenue streams, etc. This might either be intentional (a co-op model?), or simply a later-stage consideration. It’s the biggest missing piece in understanding the full scope of provide.io.

Expanding the Introduction’s Impact

Here’s how you could modify the introduction without losing its authenticity:

  • Visuals: Break up the text with mind maps, process flow charts, or even simple concept illustrations. This eases the cognitive load on the reader.

  • The 30-Second Elevator Pitch: Add one paragraph summarizing provide.io, its purpose, and why someone should care. This serves as an entry point for those with less time.

  • Framework Teasers: Instead of detailing them, mention a use case: “Our ‘Human Integration Potential Framework’ helps us place the right people in the right roles, reducing time to productivity and boosting team cohesion.”

Keep Being You!

Your intro is captivating because of your personality. My suggestions are about making it work harder for you, not about changing its core character. Let me know if you want to brainstorm how to structure your intro to highlight different elements for varied audience groups!

References

Upthere Mail Text

From: Tim <[email protected]>

Subject: Storing 100TB for 100 years

Date: July 18, 2012 at 23:23:46 PDT

To: [email protected]

100 years is a long time. Intel has only been around for 44…

I’m assuming the word “store” is meant to be taken literally - the data is write once/read many.

The engineering side of the question seems much easier to answer than the business side of the question.

Here’s a few thoughts.

On human processes and policies:

Focus: If the goal of the company is “maintain this data” - and nothing else - then you’d have to be judicious in who you hire, if someone is not pulling their weight then unforgiving in who you fire, and very cautious and strategic in how you approach growth. The business itself would have to last 100 years. This would be difficult to ensure 100% success if the scope and size of the company continually increased “because it could”. If it is decided that the scope of the business is to increase, then it should be done with the utmost caution. Customers should not dictate the features of the product - “maintain the data” - any other features could be considered bloat…

Staffing: 100 years is 5 generations. Each generation of /engineers/ must maintain the availability of the data.

Once the core product has been built and is running successfully then the number of employees required to successfully grow and maintain the product should level out. When hiring has leveled out then employee career path and staff rollover policies should be carefully evaluated. For instance, have some sort of apprenticeship program in place to ensure the next generation knows why things were built a certain way (of course… that should be in the documentation… right? ;) ). Setup a Grade-A benefits program that /encourages/ employees to be in there for the long haul and permits them to retire comfortably.

Of course, those thoughts are mainly for the technical side of the business. Sales, marketing, and professional services (support) should hopefully grow (and maintain employees with great attitudes). Sales and marketing should not be permitted to dictate the features of the product - only make suggestions.

Strategy: Keep the secret sauce safe until the business has customers and is considered best of breed. Once that goal has been reached, open source the core technology and keep the value add features closed.

Resist the urge to grow too quickly. If someone gives you 300 million dollars, don’t jump out there and start buying data centers.

Security will be important to the growth of the business (I mean… You do want those tasty government contracts… Right?), so separation of duties and employee redundancy will be important at some point. Some thought should be put in to how the business can be built from the ground up to facilitate separation of duty /without/ slowing the company down (i.e. squash finger pointing before it can start).

Again - focus - maintain the data for 100 years but offer customers 2-3 different “versions” to choose from. “Expect a new feature today”, “the feature has been tested for a good 6 months”, and “this new feature might not be implemented for another 2 years”.

On engineering:

  • Build on concepts that already exist. Why reinvent the wheel?
  • Copy the data to as many places as you can afford:
  • This helps facilitate edge delivery - but - leave delivery up to the CDNs.
  • Backups “at scale” will be almost impossible, so:
  • Be clever in how you purge data.
  • Ensure the integrity of the data at all cost.
  • Bootstrap the platform on existing cloud providers - multiple cloud providers.
  • Leverage new /reliable/ cost effective storage as it becomes available.
  • Automate your infrastructure:
  • Everywhere
  • Anywhere
  • If it’s not possible to be automate, then you’re doing it wrong.
  • Put /a lot of/ thought into how the data will be stored:
  • So no laborious/costly data migrations will be needed in 50 years.
  • Any “features” that expand upon “maintain the data” should probably be metadata based.

–Tim

From: Bertrand Serlet <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: Storing 100TB for 100 years

Date: July 23, 2012 at 22:25:13 PDT

To: Tim <(tim)@[^.]+.*$>

Cc: Bertrand Serlet <[email protected]>

Tim,

Thoughtful remarks. Interesting observation that 100 years span 5 generations!

We are looking for both server-side Unix-level developers and application-side developers (mobile, web, etc…).

We are based in the heart of Silicon Valley, and we have a fun, energetic team.

If you are interested in exploring a software position, send me your resume,

Best,

– Bertrand