Our lives, our work, our software, and our world are becoming more volatile and unpredictable than they have ever been before, often due to improvements in technology and networking that make everything more connected and more reactive. Things are fragile and breaking. So what do we need to do?

The answer is to embrace anti-fragility!

Antifragile systems, which are the exact opposite of fragile systems, thrive on volatility and stress. They don’t just survive it, they get better as a result of significant stressors and unexpected events. They are much more than just robust and resilient systems (that we currently tend to focus on building).

The term and concept was first defined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, an influential and controversial author and former options trader and risk analyst. There are many examples of antifragile systems in nature, and naturally developed systems, but so far we haven’t widely focused on designing antifragile teams, software, and businesses.

This talk will explain the key concepts in antifragility and antifragile systems. You will learn how to be more antifragile yourself and the principles and practices you can follow to design teams, software systems, and businesses that will not only survive in these crazy times but will get stronger and better as a result.

This talk is essential for everyone wanting to not just to survive but to thrive in the world going forward.

Antifragility, FTW!