Just thought I’d follow up with a new Palindromic Query:

The greater the external influence on something, the more resilient and adaptable it becomes.

Consider children, immune systems, evolution, nano-architecture and the way a plant grows thicker on the surface that’s most exposed to the elements. Consider societies or social groups with least external influence and the affect on their resilience and adaptability.

This is a statement you can apply in multiple contexts that will always result in improvement. The more you unpick, the more obvious and fundamental the concept seems. So I think it definitely qualifies as a Palindromic Query.

Constructing business models, products, services and companies that are inherently exposed to high and increasing levels of external influence – whether through open source / platform components and APIs, or collaborative cultures and partnering approaches – will ensure resilience and adaptability, just as in evolution itself.

How much external influence is enabled in your business or offering? Or does it feel insular, siloed, or stringently controlled and centralised?