How to identify real square wheels projects and need to blueprint, part 1

That’s how every engineering optimization project could be described. On the left you have a square wheel, on the right - a new round one. The first dimension is always clear.

Chart 1. Point on this line depicts level of automation of a single step in a process

At the next glance the road from manual to auto has two key areas. Automation takes time subtracting attention from a market discovery. Yet, once you pass the alley of process discovery - you are getting competitive advantage in reduced labor pressure.

Chart 2. Red line shows pressure of manual execution, green line - automated to a point.

Let’s check chart 3 of a segment of a process. Area (I) shows distraction surface, followed by (II) shorter cycles giving competitive advantage. If automation lives a long life and widely replaces existing processes: (II) - (I) much more than nothing. Otherwise, a team ends with the negative (I).

Chart 3. I - area of effort to automate a step, II - area of competitive advantage

See also

12 angles to improve your velocity with blueprints

Crypto perspective

Could quantum computers be decentralized?

Practical perspective on quantum computer with 500,000 qubits [1] breaking codes faster than crypto-ecosystem could process [within next 5 years].

Observation 1. Technical. Bitcoin did manage to upgrade complexity challenge as underlying hardware was upgraded from CPU to GPU, to FPGA, and then to ASICs. Likely there is someone out there who is figuring out how to get them this quantum machine right now. After all, transaction fees are still there.

Observation 2. Commercial. Typically when you are building business - you are creating a "monopoly" for certain things through public protections: like logos, trademarks, name of the company, and private ones: like customer list, customer relations, know-how, code.

Observation 3. Crypto. Bitcoin model is de-facto F1 competition between computers and algorithms on them. Hence, the one who got ahead - gets the prize - fees, and control.

Synthesis. The one who gets the prize, generally speaking, can come from anywhere. No need to prove to your customers, no track record. "Just" showing the best engine.

Conclusion. That is concerning, and quite atypical to build business in banking sphere on constant assumption to be the best in math, engineering and with best pilot ever _all_ the time.

[1] - Safeguarding cryptocurrency by disclosing quantum vulnerabilities responsibly, March 31, 2026
[PS] - List of Formula One Grand Prix winners for past 76 years

Strategy of change, 2026

 

It briefs problems, solutions and provides a case study.

This deck comes as pdf. Due to limitations of blogger. Link to the full deck (LinkedIn post).

See also

• Zero-time provisioning
• Own your SaaS: 12 angles to improve your velocity with a SaaS blueprint