Hello, and welcome to today’s episode. I want to talk about what Sean Goedecke calls “the valley of engineering despair”—that moment in every project when it feels like everything is falling apart and you’re sure you’ll never ship. It happens right in the middle, when surprises pile up: tasks you thought were easy turn out to be hard, new requirements arrive, expectations shift, and that deadline starts looming.

Good news: this feeling is temporary. Don’t panic. Don’t pull an all-nighter and introduce more bugs, and don’t rant that the project is doomed. Instead, slow down and tackle one problem at a time. Start with the scariest issue—solving it boosts morale, and if it’s truly unsolvable, you’ll know early. Overcommunicate each blocker in clear bullet points so your product manager or design counterpart can help cut scope or find solutions.

The real lesson? Expect to despair, practice good emotional regulation, and keep moving forward. That’s today’s insight on surviving the valley of engineering despair. Thanks for listening!
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