Stop Trying to Fix Everything
summary
Argues that root causes are fuzzy in complex systems and that five whys and action-item rushes often stop learning. Recommends running a blameless postmortem, building timelines backwards (future backwards), prioritizing learning over immediate fixes, and keeping at least one shower between learning and fixing so ideas surface. Uses examples like divide-by-zero from an empty cart, definition-of-done scar tissue, and pairing vs deadline pressure to show what gets changed and what actually prevents repeat incidents.
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chapters (17)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:09Why this talk is about inaction
- 2:12Post-mortems and five whys fallacy
- 8:53Root causes are capitalism
- 13:07Complex systems need complex solutions
- 16:16Scar tissue and org habits
- 19:02People are not the problem
- 22:35Blameless postmortems first step
- 28:12Learning vs fixing in postmortems
- 33:27Prioritize learning over quick fixes
- 37:18Ask better questions for context
- 40:47Future backwards for insights
- 42:31Storytelling in incident reporting
- 44:40Shower rule between learning and fixing
- 46:25Normal accidents and system safety
- 49:53Stop trying to fix everything
- 53:06Q&A
