The History of Work

Every management theory
on this shelf was invented
to solve someone else's problem.

In someone else's century.

We are still using them. The org chart, the performance review, the chain of command — all of it designed for a world that no longer exists. The History of Work traces where these ideas came from, what problems they were actually built to solve, and why applying them today produces exactly the friction you keep running into.

The map was never drawn for you in the first place.

Catherine Insler 2/23/26 Catherine Insler 2/23/26

The Carbon Copy Clerk: Why We Still Use 1806 Management Logic

In 1806, Ralph Wedgwood patented carbon paper to solve a problem of distance. Before then, every contract and invoice was rewritten by hand, inviting errors and disputes. Wedgwood’s messy, ink-coated sheets created a synchronized truth.

Every management theory
on this shelf was invented
to solve someone else's problem.

The Carbon Copy Clerk: Why We Still Use 1806 Management Logic

The System Has Always Been This Way

The Map Predates You

History Is a Leadership Tool

The system was never built for you. It helps to know who built it.

Every management theoryon this shelf was inventedto solve someone else's problem.

The Carbon Copy Clerk: Why We Still Use 1806 Management Logic

The System Has Always Been This Way

The Map Predates You

History Is a Leadership Tool

The system was never built for you. It helps to know who built it.

Every management theory
on this shelf was invented
to solve someone else's problem.