Master the Art of Business
A world-class business education in a single volume. Learn the universal principles behind every successful business, then use these ideas to make more money, get more done, and have more fun in your life and work.
What Is 'Flow'? (Systems)
Every system has Flows: movements of resources in and out of the system.
Inflows are resources moving into the system, like water into a sink. Outflows are resources moving out of the system, like money out of a bank account.
Understand the Flows to understand the system.
Josh Kaufman Explains 'Flows'
No matter what a system actually does, it will have Flows-movements of resources into and out of the system.
Imagine an automotive assembly line-raw materials like steel, plastic, silicon, rubber, and glass flow in, and a finished car flows out.
Inflows are resources moving into a system:
- Water into a sink.
- Money into a bank account.
- Raw materials into an assembly line.*
- New hires into a company.
Outflows are resources flowing out of a system:
- Water draining from a sink.
- Money flowing out of a bank account.
- Finished goods exiting an assembly line.
- Employees leaving the company due to retirement, termination, or changing jobs.
Follow the flows, and you're on your way to understanding how the system works.
Questions About 'Flows'
- What are the inflows and outflows of the system you're investigating - money, resources, people, or something else altogether?
- How fast are they flowing in, and how quickly are they flowing out?
"A process cannot be understood by stopping it. Understanding must move with the flow of the process, must join it and flow with it."
Frank Herbert, science fiction novelist and author of _Dune_
Understanding Systems
Master the Art of Business
A world-class business education in a single volume. Learn the universal principles behind every successful business, then use these ideas to make more money, get more done, and have more fun in your life and work.
About Josh Kaufman
Josh Kaufman is an acclaimed business, learning, and skill acquisition expert. He is the author of two international bestsellers: The Personal MBA and The First 20 Hours. Josh's research and writing have helped millions of people worldwide learn the fundamentals of modern business.
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