Scapegoating-as-a-Service

Occasional Observations

Scapegoating-as-a-Service

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Scapegoating-as-a-Service

The Hot New Thing™ Hype Cycle

thehilker

<1 min read·May 5, 2025

Here's a pernicious loop:

  • A Hot New Thing™️ comes along

  • Experts™️ tout it as the silver bullet

  • Teams ask too much of it

  • Hot New Thing™️ crumples under the weight of unwarranted expectations

  • Think pieces abound, announcing the death of Hot New Thing™️

  • Hot New Thing™️ becomes a Cold Dead Failure™️

Design systems. Agile. Design thinking. Design Sprints. MVPs. And so on.

We tend to blame a methodology, externality, or technology rather than examine our own contribution to dysfunction.

[The topic deserves a much larger post, but this will have to suffice for now.]


Header photo by Jorge Salvador on Unsplash

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Commented 4 weeks ago

The latest blog post by @trh explores the cycle of excitement and disappointment surrounding new methodologies like design systems and agile practices. It highlights how unwarranted expectations can lead to failure, urging a closer look at our roles in these patterns. Don't miss this insightful analysis!