In ancient Phrygia (modern-day Turkey), a prophecy declared:

“Whoever unties the Gordian Knot will rule all of Asia.”

The knot tied to King Gordius’s chariot was famously complex — with no visible ends, layered loops, and interwoven tension.

Many tried to untangle it logically and patiently. None succeeded.

When Alexander the Great arrived (334 BCE), Impatient with deliberation, he drew his sword and cut the knot in half.

But history remembers something quieter, often overlooked. This interpretation emerges when you look at what happened next in history.

Alexander conquered fast — but his empire collapsed immediately after his death.

Why?

Because he cut through complexity instead of understanding and redesigning it.

“Cutting complexity ≠ solving complexity”

One Story………………………………….Many Lessons

• Not every complex problem should be “cut through.” Some must be understood, untangled, and redesigned.
  • Alexander solved the knot by force.
    • He conquered quickly — but his empire collapsed just as quickly after him.

• Don’t confuse clarity with truth
  • Alexander was able to rule till he was alive but his empire collapsed just as he died.

• Design for exceptions, not just averages
  • Reality lives at the edges.

• Make complexity visible, not invisible
  • Make trade-offs explicit , Show uncertainty and confidence , Expose dependencies

• What can be counted is not always what counts. And what truly counts refuses to be counted alone.
  • Meaning arises from interdependence, not isolation

• When you compress complexity into a single number, you don’t remove complexity — you hide it until it breaks.
  • Make complexity visible and discussable, not hidden . Designing feedback loops creates intelligence.

• Understanding requires attention, context, and humility.
  • Pay attention to reality, respect its context, and remain humble about what we don’t yet know.

“What is simplified without understanding becomes generalized without wisdom.“