3 ms·
> If a line worker makes a mistake, they will hopefully catch that within hours. > If an executive makes a mistake, it can be months or years before the proble
by InitialLastName 8y ago
> If a line worker makes a mistake, they will hopefully catch that within hours.
> If an executive makes a mistake, it can be months or years before the problem is obvious
To finish the parable: If an engineer makes a mistake, it might not be noticed until users start to die while operating the product.
- taneq 8y agoTo be fair, very very few engineers are in a position where a mistake would result in sudden unexpected lethality. Usually it's more like "if an engineer makes a mistake, something breaks and a lot of money is wasted, or everything is overengineered and a a lot of money is wasted."
- InitialLastName 8y agoThat's true in general, but it's less overwhelmingly true when the product is 4000 lb and traveling at >60mph. I'm especially concerned that this appears to be a cultural tendency at Tesla, so a large portion of the engineers are likely working close this point. I hope they all are allowed a solid night's sleep before their design reviews; hopefully they can catch each other's mistakes there at least.