Evolution Story Questions

Story type: "This thing changed from X to Y" Arc: Origin State → Pressure → Transition → New State → Reflection

The Shape

Evolution stories track how something transformed over time - a project, a practice, a belief, a relationship. The reader watches change unfold and learns about the forces that drive transformation.

What makes it work: The tension between what was and what became. Evolution requires pressure - something had to push against the status quo.

Question Sequence

Opening: The Origin State

What it was before change began.

"What was [thing] like in the beginning?"
"What was it designed to do? What problem did it solve?"
"What did you believe about it then?"
"What was working? What assumptions were you making?"

Pressure: Why Change Became Necessary

The forces that pushed against the status quo.

"What started to not work?"
"What pressure built up over time?"
"Was there a breaking point, or gradual erosion?"
"What could you no longer ignore?"
"What external forces were pushing?"

Transition: How Change Happened

The messy middle of transformation.

"How did the change actually happen?"
"Was it intentional or did it emerge?"
"What did you try that didn't work?"
"What had to be let go of? What was hard to release?"
"Were there false starts or wrong turns?"

New State: What It Became

The transformed form.

"What is [thing] like now?"
"What's different? What stayed the same?"
"What can it do now that it couldn't before?"
"What trade-offs did you accept?"

Reflection: Meta-Learning

What this teaches about change itself.

"Looking back, was the change inevitable?"
"What did this process teach you about transformation?"
"Would you do it the same way again?"
"How do you recognize when something else needs to evolve?"

Tacit Knowledge Triggers (Evolution-Specific)

"What died in the transition? What was the cost?"
"What tried to stay the same that had to change?"
"When did you know the old way was really over?"
"What do you miss about how it was before?"
"What couldn't exist until after the change?"

Walking Adaptation

First quarter: Origin State (establish the baseline, comfortable territory) Second quarter: Pressure + early Transition (tension building) Third quarter: Transition completion + New State (resolution) Final quarter: Reflection (meta-learning, synthesis)

The Pressure section benefits from walking - physical movement can help process the discomfort of what wasn't working.

Example: Stockbook → Zenvestor

Opening: "What was Stockbook in the beginning? What problem were you solving?" Pressure: "What started to break? When did you know it wasn't sustainable?" Transition: "How did the decision to rebuild happen? What did you throw away?" New State: "What is Zenvestor now that Stockbook could never have been?" Reflection: "What did building the same thing three times teach you about software evolution?"

The evolution story honors both what was and what became.

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