I don’t know what a more representative company size was, mostly just guessing the causal factors leading to Zvi summarizing it as “middle management.”
I think the model requires 2 things:
being promoted far enough into the system that there’s a basic assumption of competency across all dimensions
being surrounded, in both directions, by at least 2 layers of management (separating you from anyone who’s got more direct contact with reality).
The second bit requires 5 levels (level 1 is in direct contact with object-level-workers, level 5 is in contact with the CEO who at least hopefully cares about the bigger picture. But level 3 is steps removed from either). I think it makes sense for this to cause epistemic warping, whether or not it comes with any pathologies relating to competition.
The first bit… probably depends on your industry and culture. My made-up-ass-pull-guess is that you need more like 4 levels of promotion before there’s a plausible assumption that “everyone is competent” (so, combined with #2, companies with around seven layers).
I don’t know what a more representative company size was, mostly just guessing the causal factors leading to Zvi summarizing it as “middle management.”
I think the model requires 2 things:
being promoted far enough into the system that there’s a basic assumption of competency across all dimensions
being surrounded, in both directions, by at least 2 layers of management (separating you from anyone who’s got more direct contact with reality).
The second bit requires 5 levels (level 1 is in direct contact with object-level-workers, level 5 is in contact with the CEO who at least hopefully cares about the bigger picture. But level 3 is steps removed from either). I think it makes sense for this to cause epistemic warping, whether or not it comes with any pathologies relating to competition.
The first bit… probably depends on your industry and culture. My made-up-ass-pull-guess is that you need more like 4 levels of promotion before there’s a plausible assumption that “everyone is competent” (so, combined with #2, companies with around seven layers).