Book Discussion: Crisis Engineering

One Off Event: Please join us to discuss the book Crisis Engineering.
Please feel free to bring your dinner. Snacks and drinks provided.

Book Discussion:
* Crisis Engineering: Time-Tested Tools for Turning Chaos Into Clarity
Book by Marina Nitze, Matthew Weaver, and Mikey Dickerson
Crisis Engineering is a practical guide for leaders on how to manage and leverage crises for positive change, offering a toolkit for understanding complex systems and driving transformation. The book, set for release in April 2026, draws on the authors' experience in tech and government (including the [HealthCare.gov](https://www.healthcare.gov/) rescue and the US Digital Service) to provide actionable strategies for moving beyond simply surviving a crisis to fundamentally improving an organization.
Key themes and concepts

• Crisis as opportunity:
  The book argues that crises are unique moments for deep, meaningful change that are otherwise difficult to achieve.
• Beyond traditional leadership:
  It challenges conventional leadership instincts under pressure, offering alternatives for when systems break down.
• Practical toolkit:
  It provides concrete methods for identifying crisis signals, understanding the underlying systems, and implementing solutions.
• Real-world experience:
  The authors, veterans of major tech and government crises, share insights from their work at places like Google, the VA, and the White House.

What to expect

• How to identify crisis signals: Learn to spot the early signs of a meltdown.
• How to act under pressure: Discover what to do when traditional approaches fail.
• How to build a crisis response: Learn to stand up your own crisis engineering effort.
• The three outcomes of crisis: Understand the choices organizations face: durable change, death, or rationalizing failure into a new normal.