Preserving the Problem: Why Institutions Sabotage the Solutions They Were Built For

Why do massive bureaucracies often seem utterly incapable of fixing the exact issues they were founded to resolve? The answer lies in the Shirky Principle: Institutions will inherently try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.

This critical business text dissects the hidden structural incentives that force organizations to prioritize self-preservation over actual success. When a company or agency builds its entire revenue model, hierarchy, and identity around managing a spe...