Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M12760

Not Invented Here

Not Invented Here
BehaviorHigh supportOrganizational Behavior
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Teams tend to reject external solutions or standards, insisting on reinventing the wheel themselves. They believe that "outside things don't fit us" or "we can do better."

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Open-mindedness. Before writing code or defining processes, search for existing solutions. Unless it's your core competency, just use "someone else's wheel."

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

"Not Invented Here" (NIH) is an in-group bias: teams undervalue external achievements and overestimate the necessity of independent reinvention. It stems from identity, need for control, and skepticism about the adaptability of external solutions.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Practice this model in one real situation:

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_invented_hereZH · Explicit
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