To build the future, we need theories of change - Ben Werdmuller
werd.io
Most tech coverage treats innovation like a natural disaster — but this piece argues that without explicit theories of change, builders are just guessing at the future they're creating.
Theory of ChangeTechnological DeterminismSystems ThinkingFirst-Principles Reasoning
Theory Briefing
- News media frames technology as an external force, not a human choice — a gap that leaves society reactive rather than deliberate.
- Werdmuller argues builders must articulate theories of change or risk designing systems with unexamined and harmful assumptions baked in.
- Without a causal model linking actions to outcomes, even well-intentioned tech can entrench the status quo instead of disrupting it.