A project’s custody battle
The courtroom is filled with a tense silence. On one side stands Routine at a neat table. She wears a crisp pantsuit, her hair is tied back in a tight bun, and horn-rimmed glasses sit on her upturned nose. In her hands she holds a thick, bulging folder full of plans, checklists, and tried-and-tested procedures (color-coordinated, of course).
On the other side stands innovation, dynamic, full of energy, with sparkling eyes and a stack of colorful sketches, ideas, and visions loosely held in her hands. On her table are notes, colored pencils, various snacks, a fidget spinner, and a soldering iron.
Between them, amid the cold silence of the large room, sits the project, their joint child, slumped and looking noticeably lost. It looks uncertainly from one side to the other, torn between the constant reliability of routine and the inspiring creativity of innovation.
Finally, the judge raises his voice and breaks the tense silence.
“I hereby open the family court session. Please take your seats. The subject of today’s hearing is the proceedings for parental custody of the project child ‘SystemShift’, known as Simmy, file number FD 21 C 134/25 – PFC ‘Routine vs. Innovation’. I note that all summoned parties are present.”
The personal details are recorded and the case is summarized. Finally, the judge gives the floor to the first party.
Routine stands up from her chair, her voice firm and controlled, as if she wants to nip any uncertainty in the bud. “Your Honor,” she begins, “I am the one who gives this child stability. Without me, he would drown in a sea of disorder and fantasies. I have given him structure, rules, reliable routines that have proven themselves. I have protected it from mistakes by showing it how to proceed step by step. I am the one who makes sure that Simmy doesn’t stumble and can be successful.”
Routine comes not only with arguments, but also with evidence. She opens the folder and shows tables, schedules, quality standards, reports, survey results, and statistics. “See for yourself! With me, the project knows where it stands. I guarantee reliability, order, success. I am the mother who protects it.” She pauses, collects herself, and then says very firmly, “If innovation were given sole custody, our child would disappear in a whirlpool of experiments. It needs me to grow safely.”
The judge nods as he leafs through the files.
But now innovation jumps up, as if it can no longer bear the words of routine. “Your Honor,” it cries, “look how tightly she’s holding our child! She’s suffocating him. She calls it success? What about progress? Free development? She forces Simmy to always follow the same path, to repeat the same steps. The child is not a clockwork toy that you simply wind up so that it keeps running. He must be allowed to explore new paths, try things out, make mistakes, and learn from them. I will not stand by and watch my child become dull and lose all vision!”
She throws her colorful sketches on the table, ideas for new methods, creative approaches, soldering agile processes together and spontaneously presenting them to the judge. “I am the mother who encourages Simmy to dream and be brave. I teach him to seize opportunities, to be flexible, to adapt when the world changes—because it does, constantly! Without me, the child will stagnate at some point. But with me, he can grow, surpass himself, and learn resilience.“ Her voice almost breaks: ”Routine wants to lock him in a cage. I want to give him wings.”
The project child Simmy sits between his parents and can feel the voices around him getting louder. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as the arguments clash without understanding. A storm is raging inside him. On the one hand, he longs for the security of routine, for fixed procedures, for stability. It wants every question to have a tried-and-tested answer and every action to be determinable and measurable.
On the other hand… Innovation’s promise of freedom, adventure, and vision is an enticing prospect for the project child. It knows that without routine, it could lose its footing, but without innovation, it would never learn to truly stand on its own two feet. This conflict tears painfully at Simmy’s insides. It loves both its mothers very much, and without one or the other, it feels incomplete…
The bench of judges watches the spectacle with growing tension. Routine and Innovation are no longer just talking to the court, but are instead starting to hurl accusations at each other.
“You’re irresponsible!” Routine shouts. “You chase our child from one idea to the next without considering the consequences. You’re jeopardizing his stability!”
“And you,” Innovation hisses back, “you’re suffocating him with your rules! You’re turning him into a robot, incapable of trying anything new. You’re taking away all his joy, all his creativity!”
The child sits silently between them, its eyes filling with tears, its hands pressed tightly against its ears. “But I want both of you,” murmurs Simmy, before his voice is choked by sobs.
The project child, blinded by its unhappiness, does not notice that it is being watched closely, and only looks up when the court calls for peace. When the courtroom finally calms down, the judge pronounces his verdict. He sounds composed and presents his decision unwaveringly.
“Having heard both sides and reviewed the documents, it seems clear to me that the child’s welfare is best ensured if both parents remain actively involved in its upbringing.” A murmur ripples through the courtroom. Routine looks stunned, Innovation seems to think it has misheard.
The judge continues unperturbed. “This child needs not only stability, but also movement. It needs rules as much as it needs courage.” The protests of the two mothers fall silent under the final official announcement of the verdict.
“I therefore rule that parental responsibility will be exercised jointly in future. This means that both parents will have equal involvement in important decisions. I also expect both parents to continue to cooperate and act in the best interests of the child. The court will monitor developments and intervene if necessary, but at the moment this is the best solution for the child.”
The little wooden hammer swings down and makes a final plonk.
Routine and innovation look at each other, exhausted but also thoughtful. The project child still sits somewhat pale and with wet cheeks in the middle of the hall, but the tears have dried up. Relief can be seen on his face, and Simmy looks up gratefully at the bench. The judge gives him a small, encouraging smile and waves the two mothers over to give them one last piece of advice. “The project will flourish as you both imagine it will if you each take responsibility. Routine: You give it structure, quality, and reliability. Innovation: you give it creativity, dynamism, and adaptability. Alone, you are incomplete. Together, you are strong.”
And so the dispute ends with a compromise. Routine and Innovation leave the courtroom side by side, still different, but now united in responsibility. The child follows his parents, visibly relieved, smiling promisingly. Simmy will be an excellent project.
