https://damn.engineer/
The art of saying
{{author}}
I don't know
Mars Climate Orbiter
ca 1998
Source: Wikipedia
$193.1M spacecraft.
$91.7M launch.
$42.8M operation.
Source: Wikipedia
“
[...] determined that the root cause for the loss [...] was the failure to use metric units in the coding of a ground software file [...] used in trajectory models.
https://llis.nasa.gov/llis_lib/pdf/1009464main1_0641-mr.pdf
Not just
a software error.
“
> Navigation Team unfamiliar with spacecraft
> Inadequate communications between project elements
> Trajectory correction maneuver number 5 not performed
> Inadequate operations Navigation Team staffing
> Inadequate training
https://llis.nasa.gov/llis_lib/pdf/1009464main1_0641-mr.pdf
Source: Wikipedia
Multiple people
who pretended they knew.
18 years in Software engineering.
Still not a psychologist.
Very interested in the social dynamics of modern work.
Why is this a real issue?
01
CHAPTER ONE
The problem.
The "expert"
trap.
“
The myth: we are paid to have every answer immediately.
The technological
explosion.
Why do(n't) we do it?
02
CHAPTER TWO
The psychology.
Impostor Syndrome!
Will saying "I don't know" finally confirm to everyone that I am a fraud?
The power dynamic.
Seniority can make it harder to admit ignorance.
Conversely, junior resources might not challenge seniors who "know what they are talking about".
The brain on stress.
soberpowered.com
The Amygdala Hijack: The threat of being eaten triggers the amygdala to fire off a stress response.
Prefrontal Cortex Downprioritized: To prepare for "fight or flight," the brain prioritizes survival systems and diverts resources away from the prefrontal cortex.
The Amygdala Hijack: The threat of being eaten exposed as incompetent triggers the amygdala to fire off a stress response.
Prefrontal Cortex Downprioritized: To prepare for "fight or flight," the brain prioritizes survival systems and diverts resources away from the prefrontal cortex (which is the part of the brain that can understand those trace logs).
How to say
"I don't know"
03
CHAPTER THREE
The framework.
"How long will it take to create this feature using this new tool/language/framework/resource?"
"lol how am I supposed to know that?"
The honest admission.
Part A:
"I haven't worked with that specific tool/language/framework/provider yet..."
The contextual bridge.
Part B:
"...but I have experience with this other, similar tool/language/provider/etc..."
The research path.
Part C:
"...here is how I am going to find the answer by tomorrow."
Make it the default.
04
CHAPTER FOUR
The culture.
When things
inevitably
break.
Blameless post-mortems
Senior Lead's
responsibility.
Show your seniority by being the first to be able to say "I don't know"
The hidden
superpower.
Make your
"I DO know"
much more credible