Blind Commitment: When a Delivery Date Becomes a Loan
What is blind commitment in software delivery?
Blind commitment is when a non-technical CEO agrees to a delivery date without seeing the structural cost. He commits to a customer, the board, or himself that a feature will ship in two weeks. The team, not wanting to be the one who says no, agrees. They cut corners. The feature ships on time. The structural damage stays invisible because the commitment was met.
Why does a delivery date become a loan against future capacity?
Every time the CEO pushes for speed without seeing the structural cost, the team borrows against future capacity to pay for current delivery. That loan accrues three forms of interest: a system that gets harder to change, a team that gets more tired, and a margin that gets thinner. The CEO never signed a loan agreement, but the loan is on the books, and the interest is compounding.
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