Definitionv1DF-521
Bus factor
the number of people who would need to be suddenly unavailable for a project or system to stall, used as a measure of system resilience and individual dependency risk
Why This Is a Definition
This definition establishes 'bus factor' by naming the term, identifying its genus (measure of dependency), and specifying its differentia (number of people whose unavailability would halt progress). It clearly distinguishes this concept from other measures of team capability and precisely defines how it functions as an indicator of system vulnerability.
Connections
Defines (60)
AxiomWorking Memory Capacity LimitAxiomExponential Information DecayAxiomCognitive Defusion: Thoughts Are ObjectsAxiomExtended Cognition ThesisAxiomDirected Attention as Depletable ResourceAxiomHindsight Bias and Calibration NecessityAxiomHabits as Context-Response AssociationsAxiomTwo-Level Metacognitive ArchitectureAxiomIllusion of Explanatory DepthAxiomExpertise Transforms Perceptual ChunkingAxiomDual Coding Theory: Verbal and Visual ChannelsAxiomConversational Memory Asymmetry From Production PlanningAxiomUltradian and Circadian Cognitive RhythmsAxiomSystematic Overconfidence TaxonomyAxiomEmotion as Systematic Cognitive ModulatorAxiomGlucose-Cognition Dependency ThresholdAxiomMeaning as Receiver ConstructionAxiomBias Blind Spot AsymmetryAxiomCognition Operates Through Dual Processing SystemsAxiomCognitive and Affective Empathy Are DistinctAxiomLooping Effects of Human ClassificationAxiomAutomatic Pattern PerceptionAxiomHierarchical Chunking Expands CapacityAxiomConstrual Level Effects on PerceptionAxiomPiagetian Equilibration Through Schema DynamicsAxiomPeople interpret failure as either evidence about…AxiomHumans have a fundamental drive to evaluate their own…AxiomWhen estimating future task duration, people naturally adoptAxiomHuman beings make decisions under conditions of incomplete…AxiomHumans exhibit automation complacency — reducing monitoring…PrincipleProcess inbox items in two distinct passes—first clarifying…PrincipleWhen delegating to AI systems, maintain human capability…PrincipleIdentify tasks where you are a single point of failure (bus…PrincipleDelegate tasks at 70% of your quality level when adequate…PrincipleConsolidate all agent status information onto a single…PrincipleBenchmark efficiency, accuracy, and quality dimensions…PrincipleWhen designing cognitive agents, examine the full pattern…PrincipleMake context switching costs visible through deliberate…PrincipleBlock your measured peak attention hours on your calendar…PrincipleConduct periodic authority audits by listing every source…PrincipleUse the 'five whys' technique on any significant energy…PrincipleBuild energy systems through sequential single-component…PrincipleTreat energy depletion patterns as leading indicators…PrincipleConduct functional analysis before attempting extinction…PrincipleUse external systems (AI, writing, trusted others) to assessPrincipleRespond to emotional bids (small implicit requests…PrincipleAttribute success to process rather than talent to preserve…PrincipleEmbed learning capacity into the system itself rather…PrinciplePeriodically surface process schemas by extracting embedded…PrincipleAssign decision authority to the lowest level…PrincipleLeverage tacit team knowledge about individual strengths…PrincipleAggregate predictions by confidence level and compare statedPrincipleCognitive offloading must become an automatic daily habit…PrincipleDocument not only what tools you use but the complete…PrincipleTest AI interactions for cognitive extension versus…PrincipleTest each candidate classification dimension by asking…PrincipleAllocate attention only to tasks where your unique judgment…PrincipleScore tasks on three dimensions — irreversibility (cost…PrincipleSpecify every delegation with five componentsPrincipleVerify habit automaticity by checking whether the behavior…