Despite my best efforts, I have been wrong a lot over the years.
I’ve been wrong about technology patterns (in 2014, I thought microservices
would take over the world), I’ve been wrong about management techniques
(I used to think systems thinking was the ultimate technique,
but I’ve seen so many mistakes rooted in over-reliance on systems thinking),
and a bunch of other stuff as well.
Early on, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to be wrong less frequently.
That’s a noble endeavor, and one I still aim to improve at today.
However, a lot of the problems you encounter later in your career are
deeply ambiguous, and it simply isn’t
possible to eliminate bad outcomes. Some examples of this are:

Lethain, authored by Will Larson, offers a unique perspective on engineering management, leadership, and organizational dynamics. Developers and engineering leaders can explore topics such as team building, career growth, and organizational design, gaining insights into building high-impact engineering organizations. With thoughtful reflections and actionable advice, Lethain serves as a resource for those navigating the complexities of engineering leadership.

Irrational Exuberance

Leading with curiosity before jumping to solutions reduces the cost of being wrong in ambiguous situations. When facing hiring decisions, incident responses, or technical disagreements, asking questions and seeking to understand context prevents damaging relationships through premature accountability. The approach involves explicitly sharing mental models, asking where others agree or disagree, and building systems that automate curiosity-driven responses. This mindset acknowledges that many senior-level problems lack complete information, making it more valuable to make mistakes cheaply than to avoid them entirely.

Curiosity is the first-step in problem solving.