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The Incentives Lab
HBT-COG-0190 · Dimension COG · Cognition

Conway's Law

Software architecture mirrors org structure.

Systems·Mental Model·Grade B·draft· enriching…

Scientific Definition

Software architecture mirrors org structure.

Plain-English Definition

Software architecture mirrors org structure.

Feynman Explanation

Your product is your org chart in production.

Core Principle

Software architecture mirrors org structure.

Mechanisms

Psychological

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Economic

Software architecture mirrors org structure.

Neurological

Pending editorial review.

Evolutionary

Pending editorial review.

Sociological

Pending editorial review.

Computational

Pending editorial review.

Systems

Tech architecture as a function of human architecture.

Inputs (Triggers)

Pending editorial review.

Outputs (Behaviors)

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Signature

Your product is your org chart in production.

Examples

Everyday
  • Microservices teams produce microservices.
Modern (Organizational)
  • Tech architecture as a function of human architecture.
Historical

Pending editorial review.

Famous Experiments

Pending editorial review.

Design Principles

  • Design the org you want the product to reflect.

Measurement Approaches

Pending editorial review.

Evidence

Evidence Grade
B (A strongest → E speculative)
Replication
★★★☆☆
Intervention Confidence
3 / 5
Consensus
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Limitations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Open Research Questions

Pending editorial review.

Primary References

Pending editorial review.

Signature Section

The Perverse Incentive Lens™

How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.

Exploitation
Tech architecture as a function of human architecture.
Amplifying Incentives
Tech architecture as a function of human architecture.
Org Failure Modes
Tech architecture as a function of human architecture.
Societal Failure Modes
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Ethical Considerations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Redesign Strategies
Design the org you want the product to reflect.
Diagnostic Questions
  • Design the org you want the product to reflect.
Warning Signs

Pending editorial review.

Red Flags

Pending editorial review.

Intervention Playbook
Individual
Design the org you want the product to reflect.
Team
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Organization
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Policy
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
AI Implications
Detection
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Measurement
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Mitigation
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Responsible Use
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).

Interactive Mini Network

Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.

HBT-COG-0190 · COG
Conway's Law
CLAlAlloyingBoBottleneckBoBottlenecksBWBroken Windows TheoryBLBrook's LawBLBrooks's LawCaCatalystCTChaos TheoryCRChemical ReactionsCCCoordination Cost

Knowledge Graph Neighbors

Version History

v1.1.0 · 2026-06-28Initial auto-seed from corpus.