Apr 29, 2025
Bad Bets Happen
Some bets feel smart at the time. You do the homework. You check the trade-offs. You pick the direction that feels right.
But then you learn more. You zoom out. You see something you missed. And suddenly, the smart bet looks stupid. It's not failure, though. Bad bets are part of good decision-making.
No team gets them all right. What matters is spotting the miss early, learning from it and moving on. Letting ego or sunk cost trap you in a bad call is far worse than making it in the first place. Just build the culture where you can recover fast from them. Because clarity comes after the leap. Not before.
But then you learn more. You zoom out. You see something you missed. And suddenly, the smart bet looks stupid. It's not failure, though. Bad bets are part of good decision-making.
No team gets them all right. What matters is spotting the miss early, learning from it and moving on. Letting ego or sunk cost trap you in a bad call is far worse than making it in the first place. Just build the culture where you can recover fast from them. Because clarity comes after the leap. Not before.
About Max Antonov
I’m Max, a father of two, Product Director & Product Coach from Sydney. I write about leadership, product management
and life.
Feel free to reach out: [email protected].
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