Everyone has bias, yes, even you. 🫵

Ever been in a technical debate where the other side seems way too attached to their solution?

Ever notice others feel the same way about you?

Sometimes your solution is the right solution. But sometimes… It’s just bias.

🧠 Understanding Bias

Bias gets a bad rep. Bias doesn’t always come from a negative space.

In the context of technical solutions, bias usually forms from experience.

Throughout our careers, we see countless architectures, patterns, outages, and wins.

We remember what worked.

We remember what didn’t.

Over time, we build a gut sense of solutions that are safe based on our experiences.

That gut sense is bias, and it’s often well intentioned.

💪 Working Through Bias (Without Ignoring It)

Accept that everyone has bias — including you.

This is the hardest part.

You need to assume that other people's biases stem from good intentions and real experience, just like yours do.

With this assumption, you can have more objective conversations and begin hearing other perspectives.

Ask yourself: Is this solution based on reality or comfort?

Why do you have a preference for your solution?

Are you pushing a strategy?

Are you avoiding something unfamiliar?

Are you sticking to what has worked in the past?

Understanding why you hold bias is key to making the case for your solution.

Use data to guide the decision, but make sure it’s objective.

Data makes decisions easier, but be careful. Bias can influence what data you choose to look at.

Sometimes we subconsciously cherry-pick data that supports our views.

It’s essential to take an objective look at the data, even if it challenges your case.

Bring in a trusted third party — but present data carefully.

An impartial opinion can help, but only if you give the whole picture.

When bringing in a third party, it’s crucial to present solutions and data objectively; that way, you get their honest opinion, not your opinion echoed back to you.

🧩 Final Thoughts

The most important part of technical decision-making is accepting the possibility that you might be wrong.

On many occasions, I've had to step back, evaluate my own bias, review the data objectively, and listen to opposing views.

Bias isn’t something you can eliminate; it’s something you recognize and manage.