When engineers discover
"the code doesn't work that way"
n=40 engineers surveyed, Feb 2026
50%
too late
During implementation (50%)
after committing to a direction
Sprint planning (13%)
Product-eng planning (8%)
1:1s with PM or manager (8%)
~1 in 3
in the room
but unarmed
Architecture reviews (8%)
Other (13%)
Half discover constraints too late. A third were already in a product conversation.