An SVP's approach to incident postmortems reframes the goal from understanding why failures occurred to identifying systemic changes that prevent recurrence. Rather than accepting reasonable explanations for problems, the focus should be on fixing the system and processes, not blaming people, to drive lasting organizational improvement.
A software engineer reflects on how the title 'Software Engineer' lacks the rigor and formal credentialing required of traditional engineers like mechanical or plumbing engineers, arguing that software engineering involves deeper systems thinking beyond coding skills and craftsmanship.
Russell Ackoff's systems thinking principle states that a system is the product of its parts' interactions, not their sum. The article argues that local optimization is dangerous because it narrows adaptive capacity and creates fragility; safe optimization requires reversibility—the ability to undo changes without catastrophic loss. Organizations need preserved variety and slack to remain viable across unforeseen conditions.