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I was in a technical review when a safety evaluator came at me with this: “With this change, you’re no longer handling certain driving conditions. How do you justify that?” I had the answer. I was confident I could explain it clearly. I had even structured my opening specifically to prevent this question from surfacing. But when it came, I froze. I started chasing the evaluator’s framing. Somewhere in the middle of my own internal back-and-forth, I fell apart. ...

In engineering, the same scene repeats itself: problems pile up right before a gate review, the team burns through nights on adrenaline, and somehow manages to scrape through. Or doesn’t — and something gets cut. And when a gate gets pushed back because of someone else’s issue? Honestly, there’s a quiet relief. I’ve lived that scene more times than I can count. I kept asking myself why it keeps happening. Eventually, I arrived at one conclusion: this is a structural problem, and it’s probably preventable. ...

3-Line Summary Why do even excellent engineers succumb to short-term temptations (competitor following, market voices)? Understanding the structure of cognitive biases and organizational pressure First principles thinking reveals essence, regret minimization provides long-term perspective. Integrating both solves the problem that “questioning assumptions alone doesn’t lead to innovation” Practical framework immediately applicable to project prioritization, technology choices, and career decisions. Make decisions you won’t regret at age 80 Why We Succumb to Short-Term Temptations As we saw in Defining Vision: Strategic Choice from Past Success & Failure, there are three temptations in vision definition: competitor following, market voices, and technological possibilities. Using these as decision criteria seems rational at first glance. However, following them generally distances us from essence and long-term success. ...

3-Line Summary Even if you can define a vision, it’s meaningless unless you can implement it. There’s a huge gap between definition and implementation A process is needed to decompose the vision into decision points, permeate it throughout the organization, measure and evaluate it, and update it regularly By implementing it as a systems architect’s annual schedule, the vision becomes a living decision-making criterion Why Visions Fail to Be Implemented Review of the Previous Article In the previous article (Defining Vision: Strategic Choice from Past Success & Failure), I explained how to define a vision. By following three principles—not competing on competitors’ turf, leveraging your own strengths, and pursuing essential value—you can define a clear vision. ...

3-Line Summary Vision (decision criteria) is decisive, but how to define that vision is the greatest challenge Japanese companies’ failure patterns (smartphones, TVs, solar panels) and success patterns (Daikin, FANUC, Murata, Shin-Etsu) follow clear laws Three principles for defining vision: 1. Don’t compete on competitors’ turf, 2. “Essential value” over “ease of appeal”, 3. Leverage past success patterns Where Should Japanese ADAS Be Heading? Are these conversations happening in your development team? ...