Commandos vs Infantry vs Police

Robert X. Cringely’s military analogy for different work in a technology company’s development: establishing an initial foothold, building a repeatable operation, and maintaining an established organization. It can clarify capability needs, but does not define fixed kinds of people or an inevitable sequence.

Cringely’s analogy distinguishes creating an initial foothold, building a repeatable operation, and maintaining an established one. It can help name different kinds of work that an organization is trying to perform. A team building something new may also need dependable administration, and a mature service may still require exploration.

Treat the categories as questions about work and conditions rather than permanent types of people. Someone can learn a new role, prefer a different phase, or contribute across several activities. The practical issue is whether the needed capabilities are present and whether handoffs preserve useful knowledge. A phase label does not decide who should be hired, promoted, or removed.

When to use it

When an activity’s work is changing, a handoff is difficult, or complementary capabilities need to be made explicit.

How it can help

Helps identify operational or stewardship work that an emphasis on initial invention may leave unsupported.