The inspiration to this story started with the image – and the idea what the metaphor can be used for came later. The first part of the image – the remote monastery that does something important to humanity, unbeknownst to them – comes from Terry Pratchett’s monks of time, which appear in several of his books. It became more visual when by chance I stumbled across an actual picture of a monastery in the Himalayas – not the famous Paro Taktsang, but the Serlo monastery school in Nepal. The opening image tries to evoke the atmosphere in the shadow of the huge mountain slope.
Later, I decided I wanted to write about a question that was nagging me for some time. I have observed many times that approaches to efficiency were transferred from one place to another, without asking the question: What differences in the context must have an impact on how you balance efficiency orientation with other goals? When you transfer efficiency orientation from commodity production to areas where prestige or brand value were of higher importance? Think of what the decision to use Chrysler models for Lancias does to the Lancia brand DNA. What is the right way to think in terms of efficiency in innovation processes? Without wanting to give an answer, I think that the question is worth asking, for each context anew.