Planet Sensor: Bottleneck Detector (Canonical)

Bottleneck Detector identifies which OS layer is limiting the whole system right now.

Most systems fail because they repair the wrong layer.

A bottleneck is not the biggest visible problem.

A bottleneck is the limiting factor that prevents improvement elsewhere.

What This Sensor Measures

1. Constraint dominance
   Which layer is binding hardest
2. Downstream symptom mapping
   Which failures are secondary effects
3. Repair leverage
   Which fix would drop recurrence the fastest
4. Cross-sensor weakness
   Which panel is weakest relative to the others
5. Time-to-stability
   Which layer takes longest to stabilise (often the limiter)

How to Read This Sensor

Healthy signal

One limiting layer becomes obvious
Fixing it improves multiple outcomes
Recurrence declines after repair

Danger signal

Effort increases but outcomes don’t change
Multiple repairs happen but recurrence stays high
Slopes stay flat
Symptoms jump around because the root limiter is untouched
Drift or coordination friction hides the real bottleneck

Bottleneck Categories (Common Limiters)

Mind bottleneck
Vocabulary bottleneck
Education bottleneck
Governance bottleneck
Production bottleneck
Constraint bottleneck
Drift bottleneck
Repair bottleneck

Usually one dominates.

Thresholds

Level 1: Clear bottleneck

One limiter is obvious, high leverage repair

Level 2: Probable bottleneck

Two candidates, needs a short test

Level 3: Mixed bottlenecks

Multiple weak layers, repair foundations first

Level 4: Hidden bottleneck

Drift or coordination cost blocks clarity

Level 5: Bottleneck cascade

Constraints + CDI + drift + coordination rising together

Repair Actions

1. Stop optimising non-bottleneck layers
2. Run a short repair experiment on the suspected limiter
3. Define recurrence drop criteria
4. Retest after delay
5. Propagate the fix

Links

Planet OS Sensors Directory
https://edukatesg.com/planet-os-sensors/

Recurrence Index
https://edukatesg.com/planet-sensor-recurrence/

Canonical Statement

Bottleneck Detector prevents wasted effort by forcing repair to target the limiting layer that controls recurrence and slope outcomes.