We can approach building systems from two different philosophies.

The first is the ’69 Mustang approach: build it simple and straightforward. When it breaks, it’s fast to fix with a bit of know-how, but it has little to no built-in monitoring to tell you what’s wrong.

The second is the Tesla approach: build a highly complex system with a million sensors that can pinpoint a problem with incredible precision. The trade-off is that fixing it requires deep, specialized expertise.

So, which is the “right” way? They both work. A ’69 Mustang can still be running perfectly today, and a Tesla is a marvel of modern engineering. The best choice depends entirely on the specific goals and context of what you’re building.

Not everyone sets out to lead people, and careers are rarely a straight line. Sometimes we land in leadership roles because of timing, circumstance, or just being good at what we do. Some of the best leaders I’ve worked with never aimed to lead, they just had the skill, the awareness, and the guts to act when it mattered. Leadership isn’t about always getting it right. It’s about how you show up before, during, and after the tough calls. That’s what people remember.