This post was originally published in my blog smartpuffin.com.
I call it a hunch.
Sometimes I sense something's wrong.
There is no visible indicator of it. Devs say it's going well, products say it's on time and under control, specialists say it's all aligned and agreed on.
But I sense something.
Then I ask a question. I am always embarassed to ask, because everyone says it's fine, they all already agreed, any why am I even bothering to double check?
But when they hear my questions, it turns out they didn't think of a problem. Or they have different "on times" in mind. Or they understand the agreement differently. Or they made very different assumptions.
It happens every week. I call it a hunch.
Top comments (3)
Someone very much wiser than me mentioned that even as a rational person it's important to trust one instincts and gut, specially in those moments when it manifests itself as strong foreboding or uneasiness.
The argument is that we are creatures that also intake experience and sensations through non-verbal channels that our conscious selves do not perceive - but are nevertheless present and meaningful.
Your hunch may well be an extra acute instinct that is working in your aid.
Very true! It's nothing magical, it's based on previous experience or non-verbal channels indeed.
Maybe it's a hunch, maybe it's a matter of reading the signs. If you are experienced, it's pretty reasonable to see far ahead. And if there's a good architect / CTO / tech lead in the team, then you can avoid most of the times these situations or work around them.