This month I want to highlight an article, Software development topics I’ve changed my mind on after 10 years in the industry, by Chris Kiehl. The author offers three lists: 1\ opinions on which he has changed his mind, 2\ net new opinions, and 3\ still-held opinions.

I like this article for a two reasons. First – and most importantly – the author leads with opinions that have changed over time. Changing our opinions as we gather experience is a key element to improving ourselves and our environment. Second, where I share experience with the author, I agree with his opinions – which is nice.

In the spirit of the article, I want to also present a few technical leadership opinions that I hold:

1. Most problems we solve are people problems. Deep technology problems do exist, however those are all imminently solvable. The durable challenge is navigating human psyches and organizational inertia.
2. The smartest people simplify complex topics. Although we live amongst geniuses who solve incredibly complex problems, it is just as difficult to simplify topics such that anyone can understand. Of course simplifications obfuscate important details, but those details rarely matter at the leadership and business level.
3. “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” – George E. P. Box. This quote has served me well in every facet of technical leadership. We model reality to simplify complexity, but we must remember that the simplifications skew reality. The brilliance of the quote is that even given the inaccuracies, models provide useful frameworks in which to think about problems, and thus make informed decisions.
4. State the obvious to uncover what you don’t know. Use simplified language and models (see #3) to describe your observations. The simplicity helps others correct your core misunderstandings.
5. Enjoy the feeling of being wrong. Don’t just tolerate it. Once being wrong is no longer a source of discomfort, it levels up your ability to make high quality decisions. Be opinionated to drive conversations forward and flexible as new data emerges.

https://chriskiehl.com/article/thoughts-after-10-years

“If I think something is easy, that’s a sure sign I don’t understand it.”