“It depends” is a fact, but it’s not an answer.
It’s the conversational equivalent of shrugging. Of holding the ball instead of passing it. And in work — in life — holding the ball too long kills momentum.
Of course everything depends.
Especially those ambiguous, squishy, uncertain problems we deal with every day.
When will this be ready?
It depends.
What does it mean to be “good”?
It depends.
How stable is this thing?
It depends.
(You get the point.)
That’s why I make it a point to avoid responding with “it depends.”
Because while it’s technically correct, it doesn’t actually mean anything.
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Sometimes, “it depends” is just a polite placeholder for:
“I don’t know… (Let me think).”
It buys you time. It tells the truth — sort of — while saying nothing.
And that’s the problem.
When someone’s stuck or uncertain, they don’t need the most accurate answer.
They need momentum. A next step. Something to move the ball forward. And momentum is the only thing that saves us from getting stuck in the endless loop of “What if?”
Because perfectionism isn’t just about making things perfect — it’s about refusing to make any call until it’s “safe”. And “it depends” is perfectionism in disguise.
A ball in motion, even if it rolls slightly in the wrong direction, is better than holding it and freezing the entire game.
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To the best of my ability, I try to answer — or at least approximate.
And if I don’t know, I say so. But I pair it with a plan:
“I don’t know yet. I’ll find out and let you know by Tuesday.”
That alone builds more trust than “it depends” ever could.
When will this be ready?
We’ll aim for July 25th. No guarantees, but I’ll focus the team to get something out.
What does it mean to be “good”?
Beyond functionally working, it should cover x and y edge cases and feel like z.
How stable is this thing?
Stable enough for now. We’ve seen fewer crashes lately, and the test suite is online — I’ll add coverage to tighten it up.
Not perfect, but directional. Not absolute, but anchored. Not “it depends,” but “Here’s what we’ll try.”
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“It depends” is always true. It’s the easy answer.
But for the hard questions — the ones where people need clarity, direction, or confidence — it’s rarely the right answer.
Answer. Act. Adjust.
Try your best. See where you go. And keep goin'!