The purpose of a system is what it does | by Ned Lowe • Th…

The purpose of a system is what it does | by Ned Lowe

• The quote “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me” by Batman emphasizes the importance of actions over intentions.
• The author appreciates this quote for highlighting how people often justify their motives rather than focusing on actual outcomes.
• A systems version of this idea is “The purpose of a system is what it does,” which the author finds compelling.
• The purpose of a system is determined by its actual use, not by its intended use or design.
• If a system is not actively used, it serves no purpose, regardless of funding or good intentions.
• A system that frustrates users into giving up has the purpose of causing frustration.
• If a reporting app is primarily used for data extraction, then its purpose is data extraction.
• An innovation lab that produces unused products may serve as a marketing or recruiting tool instead.
• The Agile Manifesto’s principle that “Working software is the primary measure of progress” aligns with the idea that only released features define the software’s purpose.
• The same principle applies to jobs: the purpose of a job is defined by the tasks actually performed.