why values of n
The name "Values of n" was drawn from an essay on Situated Software by NYU/ITP professor, social software pundit, friend and trusted advisor Clay Shirky.
The N-squared problem is only a problem if N is large, and in social situations, N is usually not large. A reading group works better with 5 members than 15; a seminar works better with 15 than 25, much less 50, and so on.
The infamous "N-squared problem" to which Clay refers, simply stated, says that the more people who show up to your party (n), the more introductions (n2) you're going to have to make per person.
We believe that the key to discovering and building creative, relevant solutions is first choosing the right values of n to take on—a particular structural scale, problem domain, social grouping, business size, or combination thereof.
