# The IT Dictionary: Post-Mortems, Cargo Cults, and Dropped Databases

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/adventures-in-devops/the-it-dictionary-post-mortems-cargo-cults-and-dropped-databases
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/adventures-in-devops/the-it-dictionary-post-mortems-cargo-cults-and-dropped-databases.md
Podcast: [Adventures in DevOps](https://stenobird.com/podcast/adventures-in-devops)
Published: 2025-10-02T00:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://adventuresindevops.com/episodes/2025/10/02/it-dictionary-euphemisms-postmortems-cargo-cult
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67985747/download.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1774

## Resource

A deep dive into the anatomy of failures, exploring how post-mortems in software engineering mirror lessons from civil engineering and WWII aviation. The discussion examines how to move beyond superficial root cause analysis to prevent catastrophic system collapses.

## Highlights
- Main idea: Effective post-mortems must prioritize finding the truth over assigning blame or proving innocence
- Failure mode: 'Cargo cult' engineering occurs when teams adopt complex architectures like microservices without understanding the underlying necessity or scalability needs
- Practical takeaway: Avoid the '5 Whys' trap where investigators artificially manipulate reasoning just to reach a predetermined number of steps
- Lesson: Analyzing the errors of others provides free, high-value learning opportunities for your own infrastructure
- Failure mode: Automated systems, including modern LLMs, can trigger irreversible production damage if they lack proper guardrails and operational oversight

## Topics

DevOps, Post-mortems, Root Cause Analysis, Software Engineering, System Reliability, Incident Management, Microservices, Infrastructure

## Chapters
- 1:00 — The Evolution of DevOps: A look at the transition from release engineering to modern DevOps and the drive toward safer systems.
- 3:40 — The Danger of Manual Errors: Discussing the risks of improper data handling and historical instances of accidental database deletions.
- 8:00 — Cargo Cult Engineering: Analyzing how organizations mimic successful patterns without understanding the core principles, leading to unnecessary complexity.
- 10:00 — The Scalability Trap: How investing heavily in microservices and scalability for low-traffic applications can lead to wasted resources.
- 14:20 — Smart Contract Vulnerabilities: A review of the Ethereum Classic incident and the risks of programmatic governance flaws.
- 16:30 — The Post-Mortem Pendulum: The tension between investigative transparency and the defensive urge to avoid accountability during incident reviews.
- 20:50 — The Value of Testing and Error Analysis: Why focusing on the right tests and learning from historical failures is more effective than simply increasing test volume.

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## Transcript

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