As life becomes more complex, it’s increasingly important for us to be precise with our words.

It’s easy to confuse a system with a network when looking from the outside. But the difference lies in what’s not essential and what is.

A system is a collection of two or more connected essential parts that can only express their properties when they work together — IN SYSTEM. Each part is vital, and if one is removed, the system stops functioning. Think of a car engine — removing a single piston turns a working machine into a very expensive sculpture. Systems are defined by the interdependence of their parts to achieve a specific purpose.

The value of a system is based on the interactions of its essential parts AND its functionality of essential properties. When dealing with a system, focusing on awesome in terms of its functionality is the only effective modification. Chasing scale in terms of bigger or more in a system is backwards. Scale is a byproduct of a well-designed and well-functioning system.

Back to the engine, I don’t know anything about engines, but getting more horsepower is more complex than making a bigger piston. Getting more horsepower out of the engine is about focusing on the interdependence of the parts, not bigger — it’s about getting better or more awesome.

Where are you chasing more in terms of scale when being more awesome would be, more awesome?