TBM 376: Why Are We Organized Like This?

Organizations are not built on abstract principles; they are the product of politics, fads, growth shocks, and founder biases. The author maps nine repeatable patterns-power-play driven structures, buzzword-fueled reorgs, organically-grown teams, pendulum swings between models, normalized constant change, founder-centric design, process-driven Drucker-style management, and the long-game steadying phase. Each pattern explains why a company's hierarchy feels arbitrary and how the underlying motivations shape day-to-day decision making.

The piece grounds each pattern with vivid examples: executives bargaining titles that lock in silos, consultants introducing a hot methodology that masks slow decision loops, scaling teams that add architecture ownership without a formal shift, and founders who treat org design as a personal craft, quoting books and philosophy. The narrative shows how these forces create fragile structures that oscillate between over-engineered and ad-hoc, leaving leaders to constantly adapt.

For each pattern the author offers a three-step cheat sheet-survive, thrive, hack. Survive by recognizing factional moves, speak the language of the current buzz, accept the mess, brace for pendulum swings, expect constant change, defer to founder gravity, respect the process. Thrive by building alliances, packaging substance inside the fad, shaping your corner, acting as a bridge, engaging the founder, mastering the playbook, and leaning into empowered leaders. The hack step gives a concrete tactical lever, such as controlling the narrative before it controls you or using each shift to expand your network.

Technical leaders can use this map to diagnose which pattern governs their org, anticipate the next wave of change, and choose the right tactical response. By understanding that many re-orgs are political or fad-driven rather than principled, leaders can focus on building resilient teams, aligning with the founder's philosophy, and steering the organization toward the long-game stability the author describes.