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Maybe it was her focus on her fears that was an issue? If she'd simply said, "This project is really ambitious" then maybe everyone would have agreed? It is possible to be honest about the risks of a given strategy, without turning the conversation into a discussion of your personal fears and discomforts, yes?

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I don't think I agree. Being fearful about specifics - she was talking about making sure servers don't lag, loads, etc. - is actually a green flag when hiring.

It applies to CEOs too. I remember reading - can't find it back sorry - a ML study that shows a reverse correlation about how optimistic a CEO appears in the video of quarterly meeting and stock performance.

You don't generally hire your CEO - and if, contrary to all precedent, you were hiring the CEO, you'd probably want someone who could speak convincingly and confidently to the media and investors, while speaking authoritatively, firmly and confidently to employees. That could make the difference between a startup running out of money or succeeding.

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