Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1424IR // #c1424Synthesis

Before accepting a mandate, verify that the sponsor wants the problem solved rather than seen to be solved.

— In our words · Source: The Squares of the City (John Brunner)

[Use when]

You're offered a high-profile advisory role where the sponsor won't give you authority, data or a success metric.

[Why it matters]

Hakluyt, a famous foreign traffic expert, is brought in to fix a showplace city's traffic problem, but the power structure needs nothing to change, so his reputation serves as proof that something is being done. The fee is the same either way; the outcome is not.

More from The Squares of the City

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