Extremes

Pushing to extremes always changes the landscape. It drives dramatic progress, but also brings uncertainty and risk—because old assumptions no longer hold.

The classic example comes from physics, where pushing the boundaries led to the revolutions of relativity and quantum mechanics (read more). But this theme isn’t limited to science; we see it in everyday life and business.

For instance, I’ve experienced this firsthand in my own business. At one point, we had 20 people performing tasks that, with the right automation, could have been handled by just one. By dismantling that inefficient structure—despite the short-term pain of lower revenue and layoffs—we ultimately built something far leaner and more effective. Operating out of a tax-neutral jurisdiction like the Cayman Islands, our overall business performance soared. (See billing for details.)

Running billing and development with a much smaller team at first felt daunting. But after the initial discomfort, I found my thinking became much clearer. I realized that more people didn’t necessarily mean better outcomes.

Embracing extreme change isn’t easy. It takes courage to let go of the familiar. Shedding jobs was tough, but these weren’t value-creating roles—they only added noise and made it hard to focus on what truly mattered. Removing them was necessary and, in hindsight, transformative.

Pushing to extremes rewrites the rules—not just in science and technology, but in business and beyond. The bold reap the rewards, while those who cling to the status quo are left behind.