The Power of Dissent: How a ‘Devil’s Advocate’ Could Save Tech Companies from Costly Mistakes
In the 2013 blockbuster World War Z, a key scene illustrates a powerful decision-making principle. As Brad Pitt’s character navigates a zombie-infested Jerusalem, an Israeli official explains their ‘tenth man’ doctrine:
“If nine of us reach the same conclusion, the tenth man must disagree. No matter how improbable, they must assume the other nine are wrong.”
While dramatized for Hollywood, this concept has real-world roots in Israel’s military strategy. Their ‘devil’s advocate office’ serves as a formal check against groupthink—a lesson tech companies desperately need to learn.
The High Cost of Groupthink in Tech
Recent years have delivered numerous examples of products that seemed destined to fail from launch:
- Microsoft’s Surface RT
- Samsung’s early smartwatches
- Google’s Nexus Q
- Apple’s Maps rollout
These weren’t just minor missteps—they represented significant financial and reputational damage. The common thread? Teams too invested in their own ideas to see glaring flaws.
The Amazon Fire Phone: A Case Study in Missed Warnings
The Amazon Fire Phone serves as the latest cautionary tale. Despite:
- Mediocre hardware specs
- Subpar software experience
- Limited app ecosystem
- Gimmicky features like Dynamic Perspective
…Amazon pushed forward. Early reviews were brutally honest, and AT&T store reports showed abysmal sales. Yet many observers predicted these outcomes months before launch.
The Steve Jobs Exception (and His Failures)
Steve Jobs famously served as Apple’s internal critic, known for:
- Ruthlessly critiquing products
- Canceling launches at the last minute
- Maintaining critical distance despite deep involvement
Yet even Jobs had failures (Power Mac G4 Cube, iTunes Ping, Motorola ROKR). This proves even visionaries need external checks.
Building a Better Approach: The VP of Devil’s Advocacy
Here’s how tech companies could implement this concept effectively:
- Independent Perspective: Appoint someone outside the core product team
- Late-Stage Review: Bring them in only when the product is launch-ready
- Unfiltered Feedback: Empower them to identify all potential failure points
- Decision Authority: Give them power to delay or cancel launches
This differs from traditional user testing by providing:
- A single, trusted voice
- Complete objectivity
- Focus on fundamental viability rather than incremental improvements
Cross-Industry Validation
The concept resonates beyond tech:
- Military Strategy: Israel’s ‘devil’s advocate office’
- Sports Management: Bill Simmons’ proposed “VP of Common Sense” for sports teams
When similar ideas emerge independently across fields, there’s likely fundamental wisdom worth adopting.
The Bottom Line
While implementing a formal ‘tenth man’ role requires cultural change, the potential savings are enormous—contrast the cost of killing a bad product early versus Microsoft’s $900 million Surface write-down.
In an industry where innovation moves fast but failures carry lasting consequences, building institutional skepticism might be the smartest innovation of all.
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