This week Ray and Jock are joined by consultant and software engineer Tim Meadowcroft to talk about tacit knowledge, why startups can shake themselves apart as they grow, and how physicists and computer scientists gamed roulette in Las Vegas.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 34:26 — 47.8MB)
Subscribe to The Pig Wrestlers on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | RSS | More
In this episode
0:00 Opening titles
0:14 Intro to Tim
1:44 Polanyi and tacit knowledge
2:41 The Knowledge Creating Company
5:33 Who’s the person to speak to about …?
6:53 When knowledge walks out of your business
9:23 Real-life knowledge in your code
12:00 Why copying your competitors doesn’t work
12:55 It’s easier to show rather than tell
15:30 A better way to induct staff
17:33 An efficient process doesn’t like change
21:16 Valve Software’s famed lack of hierarchy
23:13 Survivorship bias and Derren Brown
26:32 Where are the bullet holes?
27:23 Cargo cults
29:52 Seeing patterns in slot machines
31:14 The Newtonian Casino
34:01 Closing credits
Other books mentioned
The Tacit Dimension – Michael Polanyi – https://amzn.to/3f9V0qr
The Knowledge-Creating Company – Ikujiro Nonaka and Hiro Takeuchi – https://amzn.to/34dwmyE
The Newtonian Casino – Thomas A. Bass – https://amzn.to/3vhRj7Q
Note that these are Amazon affiliate links, meaning we would earn a small commission on any purchases you make.
You can watch Derren Brown’s The System here:
About The Pig Wrestlers
Ray Rafiq is the founder of increasingly larger businesses: Regent Street Cinema, Baker Street Bakery, Wigwamm, GetAgent, Unmortgage.
Jock Busuttil is the founder of Product People Limited, a freelance head of product, author and conference speaker, with over two decades’ experience helping technology companies. (jockbusuttil.com)
Recorded on 23 April 2021
Music: Crazy Glue (Instrumental Version) by Josh Woodward (CC-BY 4.0)