Practice

Scale what works ≠ what works at scale – Think Scale

If the Milky Way, our galaxy, was 5 million miles in diameter, then Earth, the only place we can live for now, would be equal to a grain of salt. Human biomass is about 0.01% of this grain of salt. However, even after 500 years of intense technological and economic advancements, we still find it hard to grasp and visualise the scale of our social problems and improve the lives of all people on our grain. 

This brings up a few important questions about scale. Is it that we don’t have a good framework to perceive the scale of our problems? Is it that we don’t have tested methods to scale over steep challenges? Is it that we don’t have a relevant scale to measure and monitor our progress? Considering many such daunting questions, we need to think about scale in more ways than we do today and not allow it to be buried under the comfort of what is considered pragmatic. 

Think Scale is designed as an opportunity to, well, think. It is a curation of ideas and prompts to provoke reimagination. It does not provide answers, nor could it. You may want to pick it up while designing for scale, or while navigating a difficult uncertainty, or just to imagine possibilities. 

Before we begin the journey, let us visualise a few other scenarios where this book could be useful. A healthy debate on trade-offs? A workshop to rethink strategy? Conversation starters? A collective reading session? A team game or a collage-making experience? We get infinite possibilities when we combine thinking with reimagination. 

I believe that in the midst of the uncertainties unfolding around us, we need to pause for a moment, reimagine what will work at scale, explore alternatives, and raise the aspiration to move forward on a journey of exponential change.

Order your copy now or download the Creative Commons version of Think Scale here!

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