Acknowledgements

Much of the author’s perspective was shaped by more than a decade within Constellation Software. He owes a great deal of his knowledge and operational judgment to the immersive experience of working alongside exceptional people at every level of the organisation. The rigorous training, thoughtful mentorship, and countless insightful conversations - whether in formal meetings or hallway exchanges at conferences - left an indelible mark. The author remains deeply grateful for the education and opportunities afforded during this time.

The content on this site reflects the author’s four decades of experience in the tech industry. Throughout this time, countless best practices were learned—some confidential, others firmly rooted in the public domain. Only public domain insights and approaches are shared and discussed at InverseMBA.

The best practices presented here are, in the author’s opinion, among the most effective and valuable encountered. While there may be a rare original idea, the truth is that virtually everything here has been learned from, borrowed, or adapted from many great thinkers and practitioners over the years. The sources for these publicly available insights are as follows:

The President's Letters, Shareholder Letters and Public Communications from Constellation Software Inc. (CSI) by Mark Leonard: These letters are the cornerstone of inspiration. They are exceptionally well-written and packed with profound, practical advice, revealing a remarkable amount about the philosophies, strategies, and disciplined decision-making processes that grew Constellation into the highly successful, multi-billion-dollar global company it is today. The depth of thinking on capital allocation, decentralization, organic growth, acquisitions, and building a long-term focused culture means these letters alone could be the basis for an entire lecture series on sustainable business success.
The Harris Podcast featuring Jeff Bender's Interview with Mark Leonard: This candid conversation provided direct and personal insights into Mark Leonard's thinking on a wide array of topics, from his family life and views on privacy to the intricacies of storytelling in business, capital deployment, the importance of continuous learning, and the foundational principles behind Constellation's enduring VMS business model. His reflections on early career experiences and the evolution of his investment philosophy are particularly enlightening.
Daniel Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow: This book is crucial for understanding human cognitive biases, particularly confirmation bias. Its lessons are invaluable for improving decision-making processes in business, investment, and everyday life by recognizing the two systems that drive the way we think.
Michael Schrage’s The Innovator’s Hypothesis: How Cheap Experiments Are Worth More than Good Ideas. This book champions a scientific, experimentation-driven approach to innovation. Schrage argues that running fast, inexpensive experiments to test ideas and assumptions is far more valuable than spending excessive time developing and debating big ideas. It offers practical guidance for leaders and teams to foster a culture of learning, adaptation, and continuous improvement by making experimentation a central habit—highly relevant to driving organic growth and reducing risk in new ventures.
Eliyahu Goldratt's The Goal & The Theory of Constraints (TOC): The Goal introduces the Theory of Constraints through an engaging novel format, illustrating how identifying and managing bottlenecks can dramatically improve the performance of any system. TOC provides a powerful methodology for continuous improvement by focusing on the few critical constraints that limit an organisation's ability to achieve its goals.
Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister's Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams: This classic text emphasizes the human element in software development and knowledge work. It argues that the social and environmental factors for a team are more critical to project success than technology or process alone, advocating for an environment that fosters trust, quiet concentration, and team cohesion.
Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles' Gung Ho!: Turn On the People in Any Organisation: This book uses a narrative to explore three core principles for boosting employee enthusiasm and performance: worthwhile work, being in control of achieving the goal, and cheering each other on. It's a lesson in how to build a motivated and high-performing organisational culture.
Clayton Christensen’s The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail
This seminal work explains why successful companies often miss disruptive innovations that reshape industries. Christensen introduces the concept of “disruptive innovation” and shows how focusing too much on existing customers and current profit margins can blind firms to emerging threats. The book offers a strategic lens for navigating technological change, making it essential reading for any leader seeking to sustain growth in the face of disruption.
Spencer Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life: A simple but profound allegory about how different personalities react to change. It highlights the importance of anticipating change, adapting quickly, and enjoying new opportunities rather than fearing the loss of the old.
Tom DeMarco’s The Deadline: A Novel About Project Management: This business novel follows project manager Webster Tompkins as he’s thrust into a high-stakes software project in a fictional Eastern European country. Through an engaging narrative, DeMarco explores the realities of managing multiple teams, meeting impossible deadlines, and balancing people, process, and priorities. The story delivers practical lessons on risk, motivation, estimation, and organisational politics, blending fiction with actionable project management insights that resonate with anyone leading complex projects.
Philip Tetlock and Dan Gardner’s Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction: This book explores what sets “superforecasters” apart from the average expert. Through rigorous research and real-world forecasting tournaments, Tetlock and Gardner reveal that accurate prediction is not the result of brilliance, but of cultivating open-mindedness, updating beliefs, careful probabilistic thinking, and constant learning. Their findings have practical applications for decision-making, risk assessment, and strategy in any business or investment environment.
Andy Grove’s Only the Paranoid Survive: This seminal work by Intel’s legendary CEO introduces the concept of strategic inflection points—moments of fundamental change in a business environment. Grove illustrates how to recognize these shifts early and how decisive leadership can turn disruption into opportunity. The book’s core lesson—that constant vigilance and adaptability are essential for survival and success—is a powerful complement to long-term strategic thinking, particularly in volatile markets and fast-moving industries.
Robert Axelrod’s The Evolution of Cooperation: Axelrod’s classic uses game theory and real-world case studies to explore how cooperation can emerge and persist—even among self-interested individuals. The book demonstrates the power of reciprocity, trust, and simple rules (“tit for tat”) in creating lasting partnerships, offering lessons directly applicable to business negotiations, alliances, and organisational culture.
You Don’t Know Jack… or Jerry (A Company History of Jack Henry & Associates, written by a retired IBM executive): This behind-the-scenes corporate history delves into the origins and values of Jack Henry & Associates, a software company known for its unique culture and sustained growth. The narrative blends leadership lessons, strategic decisions, and organisational quirks, showing how a distinctive culture and relentless customer focus fueled the company’s long-term success—paralleling many of the themes seen at Constellation Software.
Jerry Z. Muller’s The Tyranny of Metrics: Muller critically examines the modern obsession with measurement and performance metrics in organisations. He argues that overreliance on quantitative targets can distort behavior, encourage gaming of systems, and undermine real value creation. The book provides a thoughtful framework for when, how, and why to measure, urging leaders to balance metrics with judgment and context—essential reading for anyone managing by numbers.
Richard P. Feynman’s Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character: This collection of memoirs by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman celebrates curiosity, skepticism, and independent thinking. Through humorous anecdotes, Feynman illustrates the power of questioning assumptions, embracing uncertainty, and approaching problems playfully—qualities that fuel innovation, resilience, and adaptive leadership in both science and business.