Obvious in Hindsight

A family discussion about dental treatment taught me something I had spent years learning in software. A seventy-year-old relative with diabetes had to choose between permanent dental implants and removable dentures. The implants promised a more durable outcome, but they also meant surgery, a longer recovery, and a greater risk that healing might take time. The dentures were less elegant, but they avoided the immediate pain and uncertainty. Everyone around the table wanted to recommend the "better" option. The more we talked, the less obvious that answer became. I found myself thinking about decisions I had made as an engineer. A few years ago, I designed a financial calculation engine and felt confident about many of the architectural choices. Looking at the same problem today, I would make different decisions. Not because the earlier design was wrong, but because the constraints I see now are different. I understand the operational costs better. I know which parts changed o...