A series of three realtime online conference events, organized by Pronovix. Our intent is to create a space to discuss how complexity theory applies to the API economy. These explorations stem from the API Resilience podcast.

19 July - Core Principles of Complexity

From 5 PM CEST

Alicia Juarrero - Complexity is not complicatedness

"This talk will provide a primer of central features of complex systems, focusing on the role of interfaces as “active” sites that regulate and modulate internal and external environments to achieve functional dynamic balance.

The terms complicatedness or complication refer to either 1) disordered and randomly entangled relations between parts, or 2) relations among parts whose overall effects result from the addition or combination of those parts. We call the resulting totality complicated when the effects are difficult to track. Machines are complicated. A huge oil refinery is a complicated system, but it is not complex. Critically, in complicated systems the overall relations do not change components. The total really is the sum of its parts.

Complexity, on the other hand, refers to ordered relations and interactions among separate parts and processes that those parts and processes interdependent. Ecosystems and economies are examples of complex systems. Because it has effects the component parts do not, the interdependence that emerges from relations among components has novel properties that could not have been predicted from the sum or combination of the parts. Lasers cauterize, superconducting solids display no electrical resistance, and “the tragedy of the commons” harms communities. Qualitatively novel properties that arise from interdependence change the behavior of the parts from which those interdependencies are composed. Complex systems have parts-to-whole trickle up effects as well as whole-to-parts top-down cascades of relations that complicated systems do not.

The key difference between complicatedness and complexity can be found in the source of the relations that generate complexity -- in particular, in how particles and processes interact with their environment. Enabling “agents” of complexity include catalysts, scaffolds, iteration and recursion, feedback, and interfaces both biotic (cellular membranes and the eardrum) and abiotic (IT platform interfaces). Stabilizing “agents” that hold those interdependencies together include buffering, damping and entrenchment as well as rules and regulations. "

https://pronovix.com/deliberate-complexity/alicia-juarrero-2022

From 5:55 PM CEST

Jabe Bloom - Entanglement: Design, Temporality, and Complexity within Artifice

"Look around you, and take a moment to notice the things in your environment that have been designed. On occasion, we awaken from design’s lotus dreams, to find ourselves thrown into a world of artifice.

You find yourself astride a horse, facing a large lizard, sword in hand, what do you do?

You peer through a telescope, whose lens you’ve hand-ground, and remake your world, recomposing the interactions of the planets and stars exposing an unimagined dance of exquisite complexity.

How does one “hear” a song? Or see an apple?

What in the world does this all have to do with complexity, social practice, and sociotechnical system theory?

This talk will constrain itself to an attempt to sketch out some types of complexity and their interactions within artificial systems. We’ll ponder the relationship between temporality and complexity, and complexity’s self-potentiating expansion in our world. With a brief introduction to mereological recursion and phase spaces, we’ll explore complexities implications for design, and the design of common worlds.

Oh… and we’ll talk about swords and telescopes, songs and apples."

https://pronovix.com/deliberate-compleyity/jabe-bloom-2022

Panel discussion

We welcome API team members, business architects, business strategists, market analysts and everyone interested in how to build better organizations by embracing the complexity of socio-technical systems.

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MCs:

Kristof Van Tomme (Pronovix, CEO)

Marc Burgauer (Contextualise, Co-Founder)

Laura Vass (Pronovix, Co-Founder)

Attending the event is free of any charges but registration is required.

Past events:

15 June - APIs and Complexity

From 5 PM CEST

Matthew Reinbold - Seven Skills To Change Complex Systems And Improve Software

"You've got an idea of how software in your org might be better. Several, in fact. However, despite how obviously ""right"" these ideas are, you've had difficulty getting any traction. Why is change so hard?

In this talk, Matthew will clarify the complex system behaviors at play within an organization that reject change, explain how anyone, at any level, can reclaim their agency, and illustrate seven essential skills to become change agents. After the presentation, attendees will be better able to create positive change (whatever that may look like) when they return to their organizations."

https://pronovix.com/deliberate-complexity/matthew-reinbold-2022

From 5:55 PM CEST

Chris McDermott - I see social practices, social practices everywhere!

"How we see and frame the world around us determines how we act in it. For instance, when looking to change or improve in organisations, if our framing is ‘people, process and technology’, we inevitably divide our efforts and our change resources along these lines. When we don’t achieve the outcome we seek we are left frustrated at one or other of these categories.

But the world of work doesn’t operate this way, it doesn’t neatly divide into these high level groupings. Instead work is done when we perform, at the finest level, a dance that has meaning and incorporates the tools we use with the skills we have.

In this talk Chris will endeavor to help you frame your world through the fine grained lens of Social Practice Theory. A world that helps us see the elements of our routinised day to day activities and encourages us to take a contextualised approach to change."

https://pronovix.com/deliberate-complexity/chris-mcdermott-2022

Panel discussion

29 June - Complexity and Software Architecture

From 5 PM CEST

Dawn Ahukanna - APIs: Semi-permeable, osmotic interfaces

"APIs are permeable bi-directional interaction boundaries between the intended Hi-Fi human centered interfaces and the interpretation into coded implementation.

Moving beyond “red-lining” static images, will discuss approaches and recommendations to consider the human developers and operators experiences with your APIs."

https://pronovix.com/deliberate-complexity/dawn-ahukanna-2022

From 6 PM CEST

Evelyn Van Kelle, Kenny Baas-Schwegler - How cognitive biases and ranking can foster an ineffective architecture and design

"The power of collaborative modelling comes from having a diverse group of people who, together, have a lot of wisdom and knowledge. You would expect that all this knowledge will be put to use, co-creating and designing a model. In reality, we don’t actually listen to all the available input and perspectives due to cognitive biases and ranking. Because not everything that needs to be said has been said, we will end up with sub-optimal models and architecture. Even worse, people don’t feel part of the solution and don’t commit to it. Good architecture and design need all the insights and perceptions. If we are not aware, cognitive biases and ranking will kill those insights and wisdom and kill your models' effectiveness!

Join us in this talk where we will explain why we need collaborative modeling, and how that changes the role of architects to a facilitator of design. We will explore how we can improve our facilitation skills by being aware of ranking, and how to let the group go around cognitive biases they will have. We will show you that making use of the full potential and knowledge of the group this way, will lead to conflicts. Conflicts that need to be solved before we can collaboratively make decisions with the power of Deep Democracy. You will leave with a lot of powerful facilitation heuristics you can use in your next collaborative meeting!"

Panel discussion