Tech Trauma

I came up with the idea of "tech trauma" while watching my coworkers discuss approaches to development and iteration.

tech trau·ma
/tek ˈtroumə, tek ˈtrômə/
noun

1. Ongoing sensitivity in engineering contexts derived from a distressing or disturbing software development experience.

The point being is, things happen that we don't like, an we resolve to never let them happen again. That usually means overcorrecting and even going to extreme lengths to ensure the original circumstances can't reoccur. The challenge is that the overcorrection leads to other negative outcomes, which creates new tech trauma for other people, perpetuating the cycle.

Here's an outline of a talk I plan to give on the topic. (External link)

Have a tech trauma story to tell? Get on my calendar and let's talk!