The immediate, obvious consequence everyone expects and prepares for.
When a system fails, the first failure is the direct, predictable result. It's what everyone sees coming. It's what backup plans address.
Organizations know what breaks first and plan accordingly.
First failures appear in risk assessments and disaster plans.
Redundancies and backups address first-order consequences.
Everyone sees the first failure immediately.
First failures are obvious. When the power goes out, lights go off. When the internet fails, websites stop loading. These consequences are direct, visible, and easy to understand.
Because they're predictable, organizations build entire systems around them: backup generators for power, offline modes for software, emergency protocols for disasters. Billions are spent preparing for first failures.
While everyone prepares for the obvious first failure, they miss the second failure — the hidden dependency that breaks next and causes the real damage.
