Why the best companies scale by eliminating friction, not adding head count

The original London Underground map was accurate—and incredibly confusing. It showed the streets, rivers, trees, and geography above the railway. But it failed at its main purpose: helping passengers get from one station to another. Henry Beck, a young engineering draftsman, decided to take a different approach. He realized that passengers didn’t need a map of London; they needed a clear picture of the system. So Beck removed everything that wasn’t essential. He standardized the fonts, evenly...