Optimism and Pessimism in Tech

Sometimes in technology, and especially software development, we can find ourselves not just debating technical choices or theory, but in a much more generic domain: optimism and pessimism. Depending on one’s point of view, these can be extremely divisive, but in reality they are forces we have to balance and understand in good decision making. Pessimism can be the force that sucks the energy out of the party, and people who lean that way can be surprised that what they consider to be a neutral concentration on details, can come across to others as wider negativity or even reluctance to engage in a common purpose. Optimists who are keen to share their enthusiasm and to project only positive rallying energy, can increase the blood pressure of those around them who may assume the optimist hasn’t considered downsides. Good communication and awareness of ones audience is key.

First off, some examples of the types of language we see in the two spheres:

Optimistic:

• This should work for the use cases we see now, and we can revisit other use cases later

• There are going to be a lot of details to work out, but this is something we can make work

• If this doesn’t work, it will get us much closer to a solution

Pessimistic:

• We’ve had problems before, why will this be any different?

• This feels too hard to solve

• I don’t see how we can make this work

Just as society thrives on a variety of abilities and outlooks, the professional environment benefits from some amount of input from both these sides, but can be impacted adversely by too much of one versus the other.

Optimism Pros:

• Readiness to tackle the future rather than the past

• More efficient ideation

• Focus on solving problems rather that frictions

• Ability to see opportunities for benefits

Over-optimism Cons:

• Poor risk anticipation and mitigation

• Underestimation of complexity and problems

• Lethargy to change direction based on negative feedback

• Low sensitivity to problems / less inclination to escalate

Pessimism Pros:

• Early focus on risk

• Reality checks versus answers aimed to please

• Validation and due diligence

Over-pessimism Cons:

• Unrealistic exaggeration of problems

• Tendency to do nothing

• Reluctance to brainstorm

Instead of feeling frustration with different approaches, embrace the strengths of looking at problems different ways. As a bonus, once all players know their concerns or energy are being absorbed, personality differences can lead to some of the most successful collaborations.