Change Town, Keep the Well

CORE DEFINITION

The line from the Well hexagram of the I Ching observes that a town can be relocated while the well keeps its place and its function, losing nothing and gaining nothing. As a strategic idea it separates the mutable application layer from the stable platform layer: environments, demand, and organization change frequently, while core capability, key resources, and infrastructure persist because they deliver continuing value at high replacement cost. The core claim is that occupying the well means holding a position others cannot easily substitute. The qualification is that a well can also be replaced by a newer well, so stability must not become stagnation.