What’s the Difference Between a Good Engineer and a Bad Engineer?

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

What does this have to do with engineering?

Formulated abstractly, the principle states that failure is the result of a deficiency in any one of a host of factors and, conversely, that success is a matter of avoiding all those potential deficiencies.

Put this way, the principle can be applied to a whole slew of engineering examples:

• Stable structures are all alike; every unstable structure is unstable in its own way.
• Efficient factories are all alike; every inefficient factory is inefficient in its own way.
• Successful products are all alike; every unsuccessful product is unsuccessful in its own way.

But what about engineers themselves?

Are all good engineers alike, and every bad engineer bad in their own way?

Well, that’s what we’re aiming to find out. Take our 3-minute survey to share your thoughts on the differences between good engineers and bad engineers and, as a thank you, we’ll enter you into a draw to win of one three $100 Amazon gift cards.