Episode 194

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Published on:

23rd Jul 2025

What We Can Learn From Jurassic Park [E194]

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training

Matt Fanslow dives into an unexpected but fascinating comparison between Jurassic Park and the auto repair industry, exploring themes of chaos theory, unintended consequences, and the importance of foundational knowledge. Drawing parallels from the iconic film (and Michael Crichton’s novels), Matt discusses how small decisions—like cutting corners or skipping fundamentals—can lead to big, unpredictable outcomes in business, careers, and life.

Key Topics Discussed:

"Your Scientists Were So Preoccupied With Whether They Could, They Didn’t Stop to Think If They Should"

  • How the pursuit of innovation without foresight mirrors challenges in the automotive industry.
  • The dangers of prioritizing profit or speed over sustainability and safety.

Chaos Theory & The Butterfly Effect

  • Small, seemingly insignificant actions can have massive consequences (e.g., a poorly coded security system in Jurassic Park → dinosaur chaos).
  • Applying this to business: How initial conditions (hiring, training, ethics) shape long-term success or failure.

The Perils of Skipping Fundamentals

  • Ian Malcolm’s critique in Jurassic Park: "You stood on the shoulders of giants but never learned the underlying theory."
  • Why technicians can’t jump straight to advanced diagnostics (e.g., lab scopes) without mastering electrical fundamentals.
  • "Fundamental ≠ easy. It’s the foundation everything else relies on."

Unintended Consequences in Auto Repair

  • Nedry’s sabotage: How underpaying for critical services (e.g., software, training) backfires.
  • Diet analogy: One unhealthy choice can undermine progress—just like one overlooked repair detail can lead to comebacks.

Awareness & the "Little Things"

  • The importance of paying attention to details in workflows, customer service, and team dynamics.
  • Why hindsight often reveals blind spots—and how to cultivate proactive awareness.

Notable Quotes:

  • "Chaos theory isn’t about randomness—it’s about how tiny, early decisions create unpredictable outcomes."
  • "You can’t win the lottery without buying a ticket, but you also can’t master diagnostics without understanding electricity."
  • "Respect the journey. Mastery isn’t just about skill; it’s about humility and earned wisdom."

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training

NAPA Autotech’s team of ASE Master Certified Instructors are conducting over 1,200 classes covering 28 automotive topics. To see a selection, go to napaautotech.com for more details.

Contact Information

The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

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Show artwork for Automotive Field Theory

About the Podcast

Automotive Field Theory
From Automotive Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health
Automotive Field Theory explores the forces that shape automotive repair, including the ones measured with a meter or oscilloscope and the ones that cannot be found on a wiring diagram.

Hosted by automotive diagnostic specialist, shop manager, and instructor Matt Fanslow, the podcast begins in the automotive aftermarket but rarely stays inside its traditional boundaries. Diagnostics, electricity, technology, leadership, psychology, economics, game theory, history, music, movies, family, and human behavior may appear unrelated. Look closely enough, however, and connections begin to emerge.

A vehicle may arrive with a technical fault, but the work surrounding it is rarely technical alone.

Information is incomplete.

People make decisions under pressure and uncertainty. Incentives shape behavior. Standards gradually drift. Good intentions produce unexpected results. The official process may say one thing while the system quietly rewards another.

Automotive Field Theory is an attempt to understand those interactions.

Drawing from real diagnostic work, shop management, industry conversations, personal experience, and an occasionally inconvenient level of curiosity, Matt examines not only how things work, but why they work that way, how they became what they are, and what apparently unrelated subjects might teach us about repairing vehicles, leading people, running businesses, and improving the automotive industry.

Some episodes begin with a failed component. Others begin with Metallica, quantum physics, professional wrestling, a historical disaster, a round of golf, or a question that refuses to leave Matt alone.

Eventually, they all enter the same field.