Stage 2 · Giving opinions
Giving your opinion and pushing back
Share a technical view, partly agree and push back politely.
Situation
The tech lead proposes a synchronous call between two services. You think a queue would be better.
Sample dialogue
Priya · Tech Lead
I think the order service should just call the inventory service directly. It's the simplest option.
You · Senior Developer
I agree to a point, but let me push back a little on that.
You · Senior Developer
My concern is that if inventory goes down, orders will fail too.
Priya · Tech Lead
Fair enough. What would you suggest?
You · Senior Developer
In my opinion, a queue would be more reliable here. The trade-off is a bit more complexity.
Priya · Tech Lead
Good point. Could we try a quick spike before we commit?
You · Senior Developer
That works for me. I can have something by Thursday.
Key phrases
I agree to a point, but I'm worried about the timeline.
Agree partly, then add a concern.
Let me push back a little on that.
Signal politely that you are about to disagree.
My concern is that this won't scale past a few thousand users.
Raise a risk without sounding negative.
In my opinion, a queue would be more reliable here.
Share a clear personal opinion.
The trade-off here is speed versus consistency.
Name what you gain and what you give up.
Fair enough.
Accept a point, even if you are not fully happy with it.
Could we try a quick spike before we commit?
Propose a small experiment before deciding.
How to practice
- 4/3/2: argue against a technical decision in 4, then 3, then 2 minutes.
- Use the frame: I agree to a point → My concern is that… → In my opinion…
- Record yourself and count how often you hesitate.