Visiting Stockholm without visiting the Vasa Museum is like not having been to Stockholm.

What an amazing place. Built around the Vasa battle ship commissioned by Gustav Adolph II, on campaign on the continent, successfully beating up catholics.

Only that the battleship never completed its maiden voyage. It sank within less than a mile. Sweden found it 300 years later, mid last century, recovered it and built a museum around it. Truly one of the most fascinating technology or history museums I’ve ever been in.

Why did it sink? Why so fast? Why on the first few hundred meters?

Simple questions, simple answer: the ship wasn’t sea worthy.

Why was it built that way? After all, the king had hired Dutch ship builders, the best of their time.

Because the King himself gave the ship builders the design.

It was too narrow and top heavy.

Clearly Gustav Adolph II was one of the best strategists of his period. On land. Ship design wasn’t part of his competencies. He may have found himself omnipotent – and failed.

Of course there was a commission of inquiry: it found no one guilty.

Who chaired the commission?

The king’s counsellers.

At least today we have strong institions. To control the strong men.

Let’s keep them working!

And lest we forget, the most important institution is the market, the market for goods, money and, most of all, ideas.