Systems, Categories, and Friction: The Hidden Axioms of Productivity
Productivity problems are rarely about effort.
They’re almost always about friction.
That friction doesn’t come from laziness or lack of intelligence. It comes from how systems are structured, how categories are formed, and how many boundaries exist between the things that need to work together.
This is true inside organizations.
It’s true inside teams.
And it’s especially true inside a single human mind.
To understand productivity, we need to understand categories first.
Why Categories Exist at All
The world is too complex to experience directly, moment by moment, without simplification.
So we categorize.
Categories allow us to:
- Group information
- Reduce cognitive load
- Act without re-deriving first principles every time
Without categories, decision-making would be impossibly slow. With them, we can function.
But categories are not neutral.
They simplify reality — and every simplification excludes something.
That exclusion is where friction begins.
Human Categories Are Not “Proper Sets”
In mathematics, a proper set is fixed and precise.
Human categories are not.
They are:
- Contextual
- Flexible
- Situational
A “bed” can include a mattress, a couch, or even the floor — depending on circumstances.
This flexibility is a feature, not a bug.
But it also means categories constantly shift, overlap, and conflict.
Every time something moves from one category to another, friction is created.
Categories Create Friction by Design
Imagine your mind as a system of nested boxes.
Each box represents a category:
- Work
- Health
- Relationships
- Food
- Identity
- Goals
Between each category is a boundary.
Whenever information, motivation, or responsibility has to cross those boundaries, friction appears.
That friction shows up as:
- Internal conflict
- Decision fatigue
- Reduced follow-through
- Lower productivity
The more fragmented the categories, the higher the friction.
Integration Is the Opposite of Friction
Now imagine a hypothetical system where:
- Everything is integrated
- All information is accessible
- No category boundaries exist
In that system:
- Nothing needs translation
- Nothing needs negotiation
- Nothing resists movement
That would be perfect productivity — not because effort increased, but because friction disappeared.
Humans can’t reach that state completely.
But we can move closer to it.
Productivity Starts Inside a Single Mind
Your mind is not a single unit.
It’s a collection of subsystems:
- Desire
- Discipline
- Fear
- Habit
- Aspiration
When these subsystems pull in different directions, productivity collapses.
When they align, productivity rises — even without more time, tools, or people.
This is why integrity matters.
Integrity literally means wholeness.
A person with integrity has fewer internal boundaries — and therefore less friction.
Why Bigger Systems Become Less Productive
The same logic applies to organizations.
Every additional person adds:
- Another mind
- Another set of categories
- Another set of boundaries
Friction grows exponentially, not linearly.
This is why:
- Bureaucracies slow down
- Large organizations feel inefficient
- Systems begin serving themselves instead of their purpose
At a certain size, the system becomes harder to move than the problem it was designed to solve.
The Natural Limit of Human Systems
Human cognition evolved for relatively small groups.
Once systems exceed that scale, coordination costs overwhelm productivity gains.
At that point:
- Rules multiply
- Processes entrench
- Purpose erodes
What remains is a system that survives — but no longer performs.
The Core Axiom of Productivity
Productivity is not effort multiplied by time.
It is closer to this:
Productivity is inversely proportional to friction.
More friction → less output
Less friction → more output
That friction comes from:
- Poorly designed categories
- Over-complex systems
- Too many people
- Too many layers
A Better Way to Design Systems
Before creating any system, ask one question:
Do I really need a system here?
If the answer is yes:
- Keep it as small as possible
- Use the fewest people necessary
- Design for flexibility, not permanence
Instead of asking:
“What system should I build?”
Ask:
“What needs to get done — and what’s the simplest structure that allows it?”
The Real Work Is Integration
You can’t eliminate categories.
But you can:
- Reduce unnecessary boundaries
- Increase overlap
- Integrate related functions
- Align incentives and goals
The closer your systems move toward integration — internally and externally — the more productive they become.
Not because people work harder.
But because they stop working against themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do systems become inefficient as they grow?
Because each added component introduces new boundaries, communication costs, and friction.
Are categories necessary for thinking?
Yes. Categories are fundamental to perception, memory, and action — but they must remain flexible.
Is productivity mainly a mindset issue?
Partially. Productivity depends on how integrated your internal subsystems are, not just motivation.
Can large organizations be productive?
Only if they behave more like ecosystems of small systems rather than one monolithic structure.
What’s the fastest way to increase productivity?
Reduce friction before increasing effort, tools, or headcount.
If this way of thinking about systems, productivity, and friction resonates:
- Want help simplifying systems that have become bloated or ineffective?
- Trying to reduce friction inside a team, organization, or workflow?
- Looking to design systems that actually perform instead of just existing?
You can reach me directly at [email protected].
Happy to explore whether I can help you untangle what’s slowing things down. Book a call:
This essay is part of the Systems knowledge branch. Explore related ideas here:
https://gabebautista.com/essays/systems/
