# Trusted hierarchies do not preclude bottom-up innovation In theory if the trust system works, then when someone at the bottom of the hierarchy comes up with an idea their superiors should pass it up and then back down the tree to be implemented where it happens. Unfortunately, there are many more examples of this idea-passing *not* working than working. Some examples include Sims trying to push new gun-aiming systems through the US navy. Does the prevalence of these examples mean that the system working doesn’t make a good story or that the trust in trusted hierarchies tends to degrade quickly? Even when the trust is fully functioning, trusted hierarchies are not the best system for generating bottom-up innovation. The hierarchy introduces friction for someone to innovate out of the scope of their role. The further the innovation is from their role, the more people need to put in effort to keep it moving up or down the tree. ### Examples * [[The gun is mounted on an unstable platform]] describes Sim’s terrible time trying to get an innovation in gun aiming accepted by the navy [Web URL for this note](http://notes.benjaminreinhardt.com/Trusted+hierarchies+do+not+preclude+bottom-up+innovation) [Comment on this note](http://via.hypothes.is/http://notes.benjaminreinhardt.com/Trusted+hierarchies+do+not+preclude+bottom-up+innovation)