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Strands: The 12 Core Systems

Your company’s genetic architecture — modular, expandable, and deeply interconnected. Strands are the building blocks of your organizational DNA. Each strand is a functional identity (not a department) that exists regardless of team size. Together, strands form the single internal operating system that controls how you think, build, communicate, sell, and scale.
Strands are living classes: they encode purpose, rules, workflows, and interfaces. They evolve over time, interact continuously, and make growth predictable by reducing organizational entropy.

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The hierarchy (what changes where)

  • DNA: The company’s core logic and identity.
  • Strands: The 12 core systems that express that logic.
  • Sequences: Repeatable cross-functional workflows inside and across strands (e.g., feature development, customer onboarding).
  • Genes: Small, explicit rules and decisions (e.g., “We only ship features with an owner,” “We never sell what we can’t deliver in 30 days,” “Every flow removes one user step”).
Change happens at the gene level, is structured by sequences, and rolls up into stronger strands and a healthier DNA.

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Why strands exist

Most companies run on a hidden OS: unspoken norms, tribal knowledge, Slack threads, stale docs. As you grow, that OS breaks down: decisions drift, teams live in parallel realities, workflows depend on heroes, and AI amplifies chaos. Strands make this OS visible, editable, and shared — so everyone operates from the same structure.

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The default genome: 12 strands

Brand • Product • UI • UX • Tech • Data
Conversation • Operations • Sales • AI
Security • Team
Twelve is the default genome, not a prison. Split or merge strands to reflect reality (e.g., Security → Security + Compliance; Product → Hardware + Firmware; UI + UX → Experience). The goal: a complete, truthful map of how your company actually works.

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What a “good” strand contains

Each strand should be:
  • Clear in purpose: a one-sentence reason it exists.
  • Governed by genes: explicit rules and decisions that never go stale.
  • Powered by sequences: step-by-step flows that run repeatedly.
  • Measured by signals: a small set of owned metrics.
  • Connected by interfaces: how it exchanges work and decisions with other strands.
  • Owned: a clear owner (not necessarily a department head).

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How strands influence each other

Strands never live alone:
  • Brand shapes Conversation and Team culture.
  • Tech constrains what Product can build.
  • Security sets boundaries for Data and AI.
  • Operations defines how Sales promises get fulfilled.
  • UI/UX convert Product intent into user reality.
When two strands disagree, resolve at the DNA level first (principles), then update genes and sequences so the decision sticks.

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Your first 10 minutes (quickstart)

  1. Create a DNA/ folder.
  2. Write one core DNA sentence: “What core behavior must never break in this company?”
  3. Pick your weakest strand.
  4. Snapshot reality: what’s working vs. breaking.
  5. Define one gene to remove the main pain.
  6. Sketch one sequence (simple step-by-step flow) that uses that gene.
Outcome in under an hour: a visible weakest link, one structural fix, and a thread back to your core identity.

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Governance and change flow

  • Propose change at the gene level.
  • Link each gene to the sequences it affects.
  • Review changes across impacted strands (PR-style).
  • Update strand interfaces if inputs/outputs change.
  • Monitor signals for 1–2 cycles; revert or reinforce.
Avoid “doc graveyards.” Genes and sequences must be small, concrete, and used daily. If it doesn’t change behavior, delete or rewrite it.

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Common failure modes

  • Treating strands as departments (org-chart artifacts).
  • Strategy that never turns into consistent behavior.
  • Fragmented knowledge and lost memory.
  • Cross-functional flows that depend on heroes.
  • AI adoption without structure (shadow tools, security risks).
  • A weak internal identity no one can feel.

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Health checklist (fast scan)

  • Purpose: one clear sentence per strand.
  • Genes: 5–15 active rules that people actually use.
  • Sequences: 2–5 critical flows defined and owned.
  • Interfaces: clear handoffs to neighbor strands.
  • Signals: 3–5 metrics owned by the strand.
  • Evolution: a simple, enforced change path.
If your strands are explicit, owned, and evolving, growth becomes predictable instead of painful.