Definitionv1DF-462
Fail-fast
the principle of designing systems that surface errors early when they are easiest and cheapest to correct, rather than allowing them to compound and become more expensive to fix.
Why This Is a Definition
This definition establishes the precise semantic boundary of 'fail-fast' by identifying its genus (error correction principle) and differentia (surfacing errors early when cheapest to correct). It distinguishes fail-fast from other approaches by emphasizing the timing and cost optimization aspect, and provides the core operational characteristic that differentiates it from random or delayed error detection.
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AxiomExponential Information DecayAxiomExtended Cognition ThesisAxiomAutomatic Narrative Generation Precedes Conscious EvaluationAxiomDirected Attention as Depletable ResourceAxiomPerception as Predictive ConstructionAxiomHindsight Bias and Calibration NecessityAxiomTwo-Level Metacognitive ArchitectureAxiomExpertise Transforms Perceptual ChunkingAxiomComplementary Learning Systems ArchitectureAxiomCognitive Dissonance Drives Information AvoidanceAxiomDual Coding Theory: Verbal and Visual ChannelsAxiomConversational Memory Asymmetry From Production PlanningAxiomPatterns Exist in Hierarchical Logical LevelsAxiomPerceptual Plasticity Through TrainingAxiomSystematic Overconfidence TaxonomyAxiomEmotion as Systematic Cognitive ModulatorAxiomGlucose-Cognition Dependency ThresholdAxiomNatural Frequency Format AdvantageAxiomMental States Are Cognitively ImputableAxiomCognitive and Affective Empathy Are DistinctAxiomLooping Effects of Human ClassificationAxiomAutomatic Pattern PerceptionAxiomConstrual Level Effects on PerceptionAxiomPiagetian Equilibration Through Schema DynamicsAxiomWhen estimating future task duration, people naturally adoptAxiomReference class forecasting (using base rates from similar…AxiomHuman beings make decisions under conditions of incomplete…AxiomRegulatory flexibility—the ability to shift between