I have recently finished reading Tim Harford’s “Adapt: Why Success Always Begins With Failure”.

I found the book very interesting. So good in fact that I have bought a physical copy to compliment my electronic version and be able to loan out to my mangers.

In the beginning, Tim talks about the disruptors and how although ostracised by their leaders, how they overcame and accomplished their goals, even though they were against all odds. Their reward, punishment. In Peter Palchinsky’s case he was executed.

Peter was a mining engineer during the early soviet era.  He spoke out against large soviet projects, saying that they were not correct. Such as in the case of the Magnitogorsk steel city, Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Station.

For this, he was executed, but he was a brilliant engineer and he came up with 3 principles which tie in to Innovation and DevOps culture in my opinion.

  Peter Palchinsky’s Principles

• first : seek out new ideas and try new thing.
• second : when trying something new, do it at a scale that is survivable
• third : seek feedback and learn from your mistakes.