Knight Capital: It Probably Works

In the last episode, we talked about detection.Not whether signals exist—but whether those signals trigger action.Because if alerts require interpretation…they introduce delay.But today, we’re stepping back. Because before detection fails… before response slows… before systems behave unpredictably…something else is already happening.Assumptions are stacking. Quietly.Individually, each assumption feels small. Reasonable.Harmless. But in complex systems, assumptions don’t stay small.They layer. They interact. They compound.And eventually— they shape system behavior in ways no one explicitly designed.This episode is about that process.And more importantly— how project management doesn’t eliminate assumptions…but builds verification into the system so those assumptions don’t accumulate unchecked.Because in fast systems—assumptions compound faster than code.