The Core Problem Feedback Loops Solves
Feedback Loops exists because most teams do not fail at execution.
They fail before execution begins.
Specifically, they fail to establish a clear, shared understanding of what problem they are actually solving, why it matters, and what constraints exist.
This section explains that failure mode and why it is so persistent.
What Teams Think the Problem Is
Most teams believe their problem is one of the following:
- unclear requirements
- changing scope
- slow delivery
- poor communication between business and engineering
- technical complexity
These feel like real problems because they are visible.
They are also mostly symptoms, not causes.
The Actual Problem
The real problem Feedback Loops addresses is this:
Teams move forward without shared, explicit agreement on what they are doing and why.
Work begins while meaning is still unstable.
Different people:
- mean different things by the same words
- assume different constraints
- optimise for different outcomes
- believe different decisions have already been made
The work continues anyway.
Why This Fails Late (Not Early)
This failure mode is dangerous because it does not show up immediately.
Early on:
- progress looks fast
- everyone feels aligned
- decisions feel "obvious"
Later:
- assumptions collide
- rework appears
- tradeoffs are rediscovered
- blame replaces clarity
By the time the problem is visible, it is expensive.
Why Conversation Is Not Enough
Many organisations rely on:
- meetings
- Slack threads
- whiteboards
- shared intuition
This works until:
- time passes
- new people join
- pressure increases
- a hard decision must be enforced
At that point, alignment evaporates.
Feedback Loops exists because spoken alignment is fragile.
The Missing Layer
Between:
- “We have a problem”
and
- “We are ready to design and build”
there is a missing layer of work.
That layer is:
- explicit problem definition
- evidence-based validation
- declared intent
- acknowledged tradeoffs
- recorded decisions
Most teams skip this layer or perform it informally.
That is where things break.
What Feedback Loops Forces
Feedback Loops introduces discipline where teams usually rely on momentum.
It forces teams to:
- slow down early
- name uncertainty
- separate facts from assumptions
- decide explicitly
- record those decisions
This feels uncomfortable.
That discomfort is not a flaw. It is a signal that hidden ambiguity is being surfaced.
The Type of Problem Feedback Loops Solves
Feedback Loops is not for:
- minor feature tweaks
- obvious, well-understood work
- tasks with no meaningful tradeoffs
It is for work where:
- meaning matters
- decisions have consequences
- multiple perspectives exist
- design will be expensive to change later
In other words: real work.
The Outcome When This Problem Is Solved
When the core problem is addressed:
- people agree on what problem is being solved
- disagreement is explicit, not hidden
- decisions are traceable
- business language stabilises
- design becomes possible without guesswork
This does not guarantee success.
It guarantees that failure, if it happens, is understandable and attributable.
The Mental Shift Required
Before using Feedback Loops effectively, you must accept one thing:
Speed without clarity is not progress.
The system is designed to trade early speed for late certainty.
If that tradeoff feels wrong, Feedback Loops will feel frustrating.
If it feels necessary, you are exactly the audience it was designed for.
When you are ready, continue to What Feedback Loops Is (and Is Not).