OK, let’s give this article a Mike Acton-style makeover, with a dash of spice and attitude:

date: “2019-02-22” draft: false
author: [“Robert Melton”] tags: [“mistakes”, “failures”, “progress”, “learning from failures”, “TED talks”, “trial and error”, “risk management”, “engineering principles”, “developer mindset”, “problem-solving”] title: “Embracing the Suck: Why Mistakes and Failures Are Your Best Friends” description: “The last few weeks of work have been a glorious dumpster fire of mistakes. But guess what? That’s exactly how it should be. Dive into the trenches of trial and error, and learn why embracing failure is the key to unleashing your inner engineering badass.”

Alright, folks, let’s get real. The last few weeks of my work have been an absolute shit-show of mistakes. We’re talking a cavalcade of failures, a parade of screw-ups, a veritable festival of face-palms. But you know what? That’s exactly how it should be.

You see, the majority of this project was well-trodden ground for me. I’ve been around the block a few times, and I know my way around the code. But then, like a sneaky little bastard, a few new problems crept in. And when you’re dealing with new, unique problems, there’s only one way forward: you dive in headfirst and start flailing around like a drunk monkey.

Every starting point I picked turned out to be a black hole of misery and wasted time. It was like playing “pin the tail on the donkey,” except the donkey was on fire, and the tail was made of razor blades. But here’s the thing: that’s all part of the process. It’s called trial and error, and it’s the secret sauce of progress.

Don’t believe me? Well, buckle up, buttercup, because I’ve got some TED talks that’ll blow your mind. First up, we’ve got Tim Harford dropping knowledge bombs about the power of trial and error. This guy knows what’s up. He’s like the Yoda of engineering, except with a better fashion sense.

But wait, there’s more! Burt Rutan steps up to the plate and lays down some truth about the future of spaceflight. In his talk, he drops a stat that’ll make your jaw hit the floor: in the early days of aviation, there were 30,000 attempts and only a handful of successes. 30-fucking-thousand! That’s not a typo, folks. That’s the power of trial and error in action.

And let’s not forget about Kathryn Schulz, the master of being wrong. This talk isn’t some abstract philosophical wankery; it’s a gut-punch of personal introspection. Can you think of anything you’re wrong about right now? I’ll wait. The point is, being wrong is a gift. It’s an opportunity to learn, grow, and get better. But you have to be willing to step back, detach from your ego, and embrace the suck.

So, here’s the deal: mistakes and failures aren’t your enemies; they’re your best fucking friends. They’re the personal trainers of the engineering world, pushing you to your limits and forcing you to grow. And if you can’t handle a little pain and discomfort, then maybe you’re in the wrong line of work.

But if you’re ready to embrace the chaos, to dive headfirst into the trenches of trial and error, then congrats! You’re on your way to becoming an engineering badass. Just remember: when the shit hits the fan (and it will), don’t run from it. Embrace it. Learn from it. And come out the other side stronger, smarter, and ready to take on the world.