The cost of being wrong
I love this kind of perspective. As a deep thinker, I sometimes find myself analysing a decision to the point of paralysis. This article by Jack Vanlightly, “The Cost of Being Wrong”, offers a helpful perspective.
The core idea is that the cost of being wrong shapes how we make decisions. In science or civil engineering, mistakes can be catastrophic and set progress back years. In software, however, the cost of failure is often remarkably low. We can roll back a deployment, fix a bug, or pivot on an architectural choice without bringing down a bridge.
Vanlightly quotes a post that captures this idea perfectly:
“Real founders? They make the wrong decision at 9am. Fix it by noon. Ship by 5. Coward founders are still scheduling the kickoff meeting. Your job isn’t to be liked. Your job is to be clear. Wrong but decisive beats right but timid… every single time.”
This freedom to experiment and course-correct is one of the best parts of working in technology. Instead of agonising over finding the perfect, irreversible solution, we should embrace our ability to iterate.
As Vanlightly concludes:
“So if you sometimes struggle with decision making, as I myself have done, just remember that software decisions are not irreversible, they do not have to be perfect.”
It is a good and simple reminder. I recommend reading the full article for his complete analysis.
