Trigger Question #125:
I now know why I dislike the “move fast and break things” mentality. I dislike it because I used to be a sailor.
Yacht racing taught me something I did not realize I had learned until now. How to balance performance and safety.
During the 2022/23 round the world yacht race, called The Ocean Race, I watched a video report by one skipper, somewhere on the cold, stormy Southern Atlantic Ocean. While being buffeted by wind and waves, watching out for icebergs, he had some words of wisdom. Sometimes, he said, you must compromise on speed so that you don’t compromise on safety.
That’s when the penny dropped. I remembered the times I had limped back to shore after a race in a wind too strong, sometimes with a dropped mainsail and only the jib to power me. (It was only a dinghy yacht, but still.)
I limped instinctively. But now, thanks to that skipper, I realize I was also being smart.
“Move fast and break things” might work well if you are using other people’s money. But when your own money is at stake, or your personal security, or the wellbeing of your team or crew, then you should be wise enough to slow down so that nothing breaks.
Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.
. . .