Wehrmacht, Elon Musk and Unix Software Development
A look at the power of iterative approaches to solving complex problems in software development, economics, engineering and war.
A TOPIC which has fascinated me for a long time is how different organizations can achieve vastly different outcomes and success despite having access to similar amount of resources at their disposal. For instance how could Tesla outcompete huge automakers in making long range electric cars? How could a startup like SpaceX design a rocket such as Falcon 9 outcompeting far more experienced competitors such as Boeing and ULA, Roscosmos and Arianespace with much more experience and deeper pockets?
Why was Unix so successful compared to the long forgotten Multics despite having a tiny team and very little resources at the their disposal?
Why did Japanese automakers in the 1980s and 1990s outcompete their American counterparts, which had larger markets, more experience and deeper pockets?
I have chosen to frame all these different experience through the Unix software development philosophy of “worse is better” which emphasis these points:
- Simplicity — The design must be simple, both in implementation and interface. It is more important for the…
