20 Things I Learned As A Systems (Over) Thinker

First up in the Papers in Systems discussion series in 2026: “20 Things I Learned As A Systems (Over) Thinker” by John Cutler.

The discussion will be led by Yvonne Lam.

When: January 5th, 2026, 1PM - 2PM Eastern Time (US/Canada) (19:00 CET). The Zoom room will remain open until 2:30PM for informal discussion. (Check time in your timezone: WorldTimeBuddy )

The paper is available at: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/johnpcutler_20-things-ive-learned-as-a-systems-over-activity-6925265247985426432-mRPy/

The illustration above, is by Viktor Cessan. A version of "twenty Things" with illustrations by Viktor Cessan, is available at: https://www.viktorcessan.com/20-systems-over-thinker-tips/

Some quotes from the paper to tease the appetite:

3. If you go deep first\, and then simplify…keep in mind that you don’t need to show all of your work 12. The people who support you in private may not be able to support you in public. Accept that

This is a short paper, but we expect the discussion to be lively with reflection, recounted experiences, and connections to other related work.