-> What is Optimism Bias?
Optimism bias is a cognitive blind spot in decision-making. It is particularly prevalent in product development. It is the tendency to underestimate the challenges and overestimate the benefits of a project. This bias can lead to unrealistic timelines, budget overruns, and under-prepared strategies.

-> Personal Anecdote
I led a product development team for a Hunting Planner App. The project looked foolproof on paper as most of the work was integrating third-party services. The team was optimistic about the deliverable timelines. We encountered numerous technical hurdles that resulted in delays, budget escalations, and stakeholder dissatisfaction. This was my practical lesson about falling prey to optimism bias.

Here is an analogy imagining you as the ship’s captain setting off on a voyage to discover new lands (your product development project).

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