Beyond identifying brittleness, the ultimate goal is building systems that gain from stress rather than breaking:
Redundancy Without Efficiency Loss Traditional redundancy reduces efficiency. Smart redundancy maintains efficiency while eliminating brittleness.
Instead of maintaining multiple identical backup systems, Kevin built modular capabilities that could recombine for different scenarios. His consulting firm could deliver training, coaching, or strategic planning—but all used the same core intellectual property and delivery team. Redundancy without duplication.
Optionality at Breaking Points Transform brittleness points into option points—places where you can choose different paths rather than having only one that might break.
Where Sandra's business was brittle to government regulation changes, she built regulatory optionality. She maintained licenses in multiple jurisdictions and designed services to quickly shift between regulatory frameworks. Brittleness became flexibility.
Stress Testing Protocols Regular stress testing prevents brittleness from developing unnoticed. Build testing into regular operations.
Robert implemented monthly "break tests" where teams attempted to break their own systems. Finding brittleness became a game with rewards for discovery. This proactive approach revealed brittleness while it was still cheap to fix.