In the 1950s, physicist Richard Feynman coined the term “Cargo Cult Science.” He was describing a phenomenon where people followed all the outward forms of a scientific investigation—the rituals, the jargon, the ceremonies—but missed the underlying “physics” that makes the whole thing work.
In the world of Digital Transformation, we see this often. We see organizations adopting all the “forms” of modern delivery: the daily stand-ups, the colorful Jira boards, and the sticky-note workshops. These are good practices, but they are often performed in a vacuum. We build the “runway” and the “control tower,” and we wait for the “Cargo” (the ROI) to land.
The most common ritual used today to justify this lack of momentum is the phrase: “We are Business Outcome Focused.”
At Recursive, we believe in Business Outcomes. They are the north star of everything we do. But we also believe that an outcome without a mechanism is just a wish.
The “Destination vs. Driving” Paradox
Think of a business outcome as a destination. Stating, “I want to reduce damp and mould in 50,000 homes,” is a vital, resident-focused destination.
However, imagine hiring a driver to take you there. If that driver only talks about how much they value the “outcome” of being in Paris, but doesn’t know how to check the oil, read a map, or shift gears, you aren’t going to get to Paris. You’re just going to sit in a stationary car talking about your feelings.
True Financial Stewardship means moving beyond the “What” and into the “How.” When a consultancy tells you to stay “Outcome Focused” and avoid “Technical Artifacts,” they are often unintentionally creating a Design Gap.
The Kindness of Technical Clarity
There is a common misconception that things like Logical Data Models (LDMs) or Sequence Diagrams are “too technical” or “anti-agile.” In reality, these artifacts are the ultimate act of empathy for your team.
When we provide a developer with a 1,000-story backlog of “wishes” (e.g. “The system shall facilitate triage”), we are placing an immense cognitive load on them. We are asking them to guess the architecture. This leads to:
- Developer Burnout: They are building on shifting sand.
- Staff Frustration: The system they eventually get doesn’t “make sense” because the data silos were never normalized.
- Vendor Friction: The RFP process becomes a game of “interpretation” rather than “execution,” leading to 75% refusal rates.
Closing the Design Gap
Being “People Focused” means giving your people the tools to succeed. That requires Technical Stewardship. In my recent work auditing major ERP procurements, I’ve seen what happens when the “Cargo Cult” rituals take over. We have meetings about meetings, while the “Physics” of the system remains unaddressed.
- The “Idempotency” Safety Net: If we don’t design for idempotency in our financial integrations, we risk losing resident transactions during a network glitch.
- The “Data Foundation”: If we don’t standardize our assets (Property, Vehicles, Tools) in a Logical Data Model before we buy the software, we are just moving old problems into a new, more expensive house.
These aren’t “technical chores.” They are the guarantee that your Business Outcome will actually happen.
From Ritual to Reality
Recursive Software exists to bridge the gap between the boardroom vision and the server-room reality. We help organizations move away from “Governance Theatre” and back toward High-Density Delivery.
- Microscope over Telescope: We don’t ask you to bet your next three years on a “Telescope” vision. We build a Vertical Slice—a small, working version of the architecture—to prove the “Physics” works in 12 weeks.
- Artifacts as Assets: We provide the LDMs and Sequence Diagrams that give your vendors certainty. This reduces your “Change Request” risk and ensures the system is built right the first time.
- Bilingual Leadership: We provide leaders who can explain ROI to a CFO and API contracts to a Lead Dev in the same hour.
The “Cargo” only lands when the plane is built according to the laws of physics. Let’s stop the rituals and start building something that actually flies.
Recursive Software: Business Outcomes, Built on Technical Integrity.
