Growing up in the East Tennessee hills, I was exposed to the concept of reverse engineering. Reverse engineering is the process whereby something is deconstructed to extract design information. Common examples include building legacy replacement parts for obsolete products, repairing or servicing items without a replacement part, analyzing a failed part or making an improvement, or replicating a system or product.
The reverse engineering process adds value because of the knowledge gained from understanding how the pieces work together to make that item. It also adds value to the owner because you know you are the reason it remains functioning and valuable.
Like many other areas of the country, in East Tennessee, we spent much time repairing tools and equipment. If something broke down, finding a replacement or purchasing a new item was the last option. For example, while working for my uncle’s mowing service, my cousins and I snapped the handle off a walk-behind mower. The parts had been discontinued, so my uncle grabbed a few washers and a welder and crafted a new handle for the mower himself. We had many tools and equipment “MacGyvered” to keep them running or useable. While we enjoyed having something new, a tool wasn’t yours until you had to reverse-engineer a part that made it uniquely yours.
These days, culture has shifted from repair to replace. Part of that is the convenience of the “Amazon culture,” where you can have almost anything in two days or less. It is simply easier to replace items than to repair them. Global manufacturing also has driven down the quality of products to the point it is easier to discard an item than reverse-engineer it for repair. You are likely to destroy the item you are trying to repair in the process.
Sadly, this mindset isn’t limited to the “stuff” we purchase but also has become ingrained in other areas of our lives. “Throwaway culture” has become relevant not only to consumer items but also to social lives. Unfriending and cancel-culture impact our interactions with one another, as well as the value placed on relationships and careers. We simply replace relationships rather than work to repair them. What about ministry? If we have a ministry that isn’t going well, are we more likely to reverse-engineer the situation to repair it, or will we simply move on to another opportunity? The same could be asked in our marriages, finances, or other areas of our lives.
Applying principles of reverse engineering to other areas of life places emphasis on repairing broken or damaged areas. When we gain knowledge regarding that area of life, it enables us to find suitable options to repair what has been broken. The understanding gained from analysis and diagnosis provides options for correcting the broken situations that arise in other areas.
Easily discarded or replaced “disposable items” keep us from getting too attached or investing too deeply. The amount of time and work we put into those items is shallow and limited. Even though the item could be essential for living, it may not hold the proper value because of our lack of understanding about how it works.
Reverse engineering provides stewardship over what has been entrusted to us. Being willing to repair rather than replace relationships and situations in our lives — while difficult — helps us be more deeply invested in important things.
About the Writer: John Brummitt, the son of a Free Will Baptist pastor, has been with Richland Ave Financial (formerly the Free Will Baptist Board of Retirement) since spring of 2006. He became CEO in January 2016. John graduated in 2004 with a business degree from Welch College and graduated with honors with an MBA/Finance degree from Tennessee Tech University in 2011. John and his wife Ashley have two sons, Jude and Parker.
