indexzero/PRINCIPALS.md

## PRINCIPALS.md

      
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              PRINCIPALS.md
            
          
    Principles of Note

A list of select principles that have been particularly useful in helping design, refine,
and debug complex systems (both computer & human)
Conway's Law


Any organization that designs a system (defined broadly) will produce a design
hose structure is a copy of the organization's communication structure.
— Melvin E. Conway

Gall's Law


A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple
system that worked. The inverse proposition also appears to be true: A complex
system designed from scratch never works and cannot be made to work. You have to
start over, beginning with a working simple system.
– John Gall

Postel's Law (Robustness principle)


Be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you accept from others.
– Jon Postel

n.b. the above is often reworded in the context of systems design as:
"be conservative in what you send, be liberal in what you accept"
Goodhart's Law


source: https://sketchplanations.com/goodharts-law

Parkinson's Law


Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion
– C. Northcote Parkinson, 1955

n.b. the above is reworded in "Four Thousand Weeks" to define "Work" as "what needs doing".