Limiters.
Incremental innovation continues until it hits a limiter.
Why not continue making incremental improvements forever? They are safer, easier, and cheaper than making leaps.
Upgrading can continue indefinitely, until a limiter is reached. There are different kinds of limiting functions. Some relate to economics, others to engineering, design or leadership.
Economic limiters include diminishing returns, (various) transaction costs, lack of demand, lack of supply. Engineering limiters relate to technical feasibility and efficient execution processes. Designer limiters include local optimums and structural constraints. Leadership limiters include lack of imagination, misaligned incentives and organizational breakdowns.
When a limiter is reached that can’t be crossed through more small steps, another leap is required.
