Jack Dorsey's essay: from hierarchy to intelligence, AI redesigns the org
hugobowne · x · 2026-11-08
Jack Dorsey and Sequoia's Roelof Botha published "From Hierarchy to Intelligence" on Block's site. Key threads:
- Rome invented the nested hierarchy (8→80→480→5,000) two millennia ago as an information-routing protocol built around one human limit: a leader manages 3-8 people effectively. Prussia later rebuilt its army around accepting you can't depend on individual genius. Every large org chart is still governed by this span of control.
- The essay argues most companies treat AI as a productivity enhancer, while few use it to change how people work together — Block is fundamentally rethinking organization design, turning speed into a compounding competitive advantage.
- Hugo Bowne adds that thinking of organizations as intelligence with organizational memory is the key to building the systems Dorsey points toward.
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