The gift of ambition

David Heinemeier Hanson on the gift of ambition:

What is ambition, exactly? To me, it's a leap of faith. A belief in the possibility of success without all the evidence to justify it a priori. A trust that whatever challenges we'll face between here and there, we'll be able to figure them out. It's a confidence in the strength of human ingenuity. And a bet that it takes a goal just beyond the reach of the plausible to get the best out of us all.

That ambition can be applied to all aspects of a project. The timeline, the people, the problem, the tech. To tickle our sense of adventure, some of it has to be daring and bold. Maybe it's not enough people, not enough time, new tech, novel problems. Whatever it is, there must be an x factor, an unknown. If we can quantify it all before we even begin, the ambition disappears.

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Without a dash of the unpredictable, we all wither away. The chase for security and surety only works as a thrill if you never truly get there. Our competency only grows when we stretch it slightly beyond its breaking point from time to time.

So keep calm, yes, but for all that is holy, carry on by being ambitious.