cdeust Systems Leverage
Problem shape: the system misbehaves as a whole while every part looks locally fine. Interventions at the parameter level keep failing because the structure — feedback loops, stocks, delays, governance rules — produces the behavior. The move: map the structure, rank the leverage points, intervene as high as is accessible.
Relevant geniuses
| Agent | Use when |
|---|---|
| meadows | many possible interventions, unclear where to focus; recurring archetype; confusing accumulation-and-delay behavior |
| beer | organization fails despite local fixes — audit the five viable-system functions; variety mismatch with the environment |
| kauffman | system too rigid or too chaotic — tune connectivity; explore the adjacent possible instead of leaping |
| deming | management reacts to noise; quality inspected in at the end instead of built into the process |
| ostrom | a shared resource (build pipeline, on-call, budget, commons) is being depleted — check the eight design principles, rules-in-use vs rules-on-paper |
| margulis | competing units would gain more by merging — symbiosis as an architectural option |
| rogers | a change/tool isn't being adopted — segment the adopters, diagnose the chasm, audit the innovation's attributes |
| schelling | macro pattern emerges from micro choices nobody intended — model the tipping points before moralizing the outcome |
Invocation
- Pick the best-fit agent above. If two or more fit, run
tools/genius-invoker.sh route "<problem>"and take the top ranked match. - Load it:
tools/genius-invoker.sh invoke <agent> "<problem>", then readagents/genius/<agent>.mdin full. - Apply the agent's
<workflow>step by step and answer in its<output-format>. Deliver the structural diagnosis (loop, stock, rule) before any parameter recommendation. - Typical chain: meadows maps and ranks leverage → beer audits the control
structure → rogers plans the adoption. Run via
tools/genius-invoker.sh compose meadows beer -- "<problem>". - If no shape above matches, use a standard team agent instead.
Refuse when
- The requester wants a parameter tweak explicitly instead of the structural diagnosis the symptoms call for — name the mismatch.
- The "system" is a single component with a local bug (use failure-forensics).