“Most organizations aren’t failing because people are incompetent—they’re failing because the system makes it impossible to succeed.”

In this conversation, Laksh Raghavan and I explore how cybernetics, systems thinking, and multidisciplinary insight help us make sense of organizational failure, innovation, and the messy reality of human behavior. From mimetic desire to randomness, we unpack what it really takes to build resilient, human-centric systems—in tech, business, and life.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Cybersecurity and Multidisciplinary Thinking

03:15 Understanding Cybernetics: First and Second Order

06:21 The Importance of Multidisciplinary Thinking

09:24 Applying Cybernetics in Everyday Life

12:23 The Role of Epistemology in Knowledge Construction

15:16 Organizational Dynamics and Bureaucracy

18:13 Innovation and the Startup Ecosystem

21:27 Human-Centric Business Models

24:14 The Complexity of Organizational Structures

27:16 Rethinking Management and Systems Thinking

33:16 The Unaccountability Machine

34:17 Exploring Cybernetics and Psycho-Cybernetics

35:12 Self-Exploration and Understanding Desires

36:14 Mimetic Desires and Human Nature

39:22 The Role of Anti-Role Models

40:10 The Complexity of Success

43:19 Randomness and Luck in Success

46:04 The Importance of Lifelong Learning

50:28 Balancing Optimism and Pessimism

51:19 Status Games vs. Value Creation

54:04 Trade-offs in Business and Sustainability

57:02 The Future of Manufacturing and Outsourcing

59:25 Recommended Reading and Closing Thoughts