Every great product starts with people, not code.
This post kicks off my new series People Over Pixels, where I share the soft skills that I believe are more important than any framework, syntax, or architecture.
After years of working in different teams, I’ve realized that the success of a product depends less on how we code, and more on how we communicate.
When One Missing Conversation Costs Million of Dollars
In 1999, NASA lost the Mars Climate Orbiter, a $125 million spacecraft. Not because of bad hardware, or a complex bug, but because two brilliant teams weren’t aligned. One used imperial units. The other used metric.
A single misunderstanding destroyed years of work and one of the most advanced spacecraft ever built [1].
That story stuck with me because it shows something simple yet profound:
Even the best engineers fail when they stop talking the same language.
Why Teams Need to Talk
The best teams I’ve worked with didn’t avoid problems, they talked about them early. They didn’t guess what others meant, they asked. They didn’t hide mistakes, they shared them before they grew.
Communication isn’t about meetings or documentation. It’s about creating a shared understanding, so everyone moves in the same direction.
The Power of Asking Questions
I used to stay quiet when I wasn’t 100% sure about something. I thought asking too many questions would make me look less experienced, but the truth is the opposite.
The people who ask questions make everyone smarter. They catch assumptions, expose risks, and help the team think more clearly.
The best developers aren’t the ones who always know the answer, they’re the ones who make it safe for everyone to ask the hard questions.
Lessons from Toyota: Communication as Quality
Toyota’s production system is famous for one rule: any worker on the line can pull the andon cord to stop production if they see a problem.
It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone is empowered to speak up. That culture of openness made Toyota one of the most consistent, high-quality manufacturers in the world.
In software, "pulling the andon cord" means saying:
- "I think we might have a problem here."
- "I’m not sure I understood this requirement."
- "Can we discuss another approach?"
That’s how teams build quality, not just in their code, but in their relationships.
Communication Is a Force Multiplier
Good communication turns individual effort into collective success. It’s how teams stay aligned, fix problems faster, and build trust over time.
When people talk, they discover solutions no one could find alone. When they stay silent, even the best code can’t save them.
💡 Final Thought
Great teams aren’t made of the most talented individuals, they’re made of people who talk, listen, and learn together. So, if you want your next project to succeed, don’t just focus on writing perfect code.
Focus on creating conversations that lead to better code, because in the end:
Teams that talk early, fail less, and build more.
🛰️ References
[1] Simscale - When NASA Lost a Spacecraft Due to a Metric Math Mistake
✅ That’s all, folks!
💬 Let’s Connect
Have any questions, suggestions for improvement, or just want to share your thoughts?
Feel free to leave a comment here, or get in touch with me directly on LinkedIn — I’d love to connect!
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