I’ve seen my fair share of management absurdities, but nothing beats the classic scenario where a manager asks for the impossible — what I call the Flying Pig Syndrome. Most of my students have definitely heard this flying pig exclamation.
This syndrome is when leadership demands something that defies all logic, physics, and technological reality.
• “We need this AI model to be 100% accurate.”
• “Can we make this real-time without increasing the budget?”
• “I want our data platform to be fully decentralized but still give me a single source of truth.”
Sure, and while we’re at it, let’s make pigs fly.
The Root of the Flying Pig Syndrome
The problem usually stems from a mix of overambition, lack of technical understanding, and the dangerous assumption that everything is possible with enough pressure. But reality is cruel — engineering constraints, data limitations, and physics itself don’t care about wishful thinking.
I’ve seen data projects stall for months because someone in upper management was fixated on a fantasy requirement. Instead of pivoting to a feasible solution, they kept pushing for a mythical feature that wouldn’t work. The result? Wasted time, burned-out engineers, and a lot of “why isn’t this done yet?” meetings.
The Symptoms of a Flying Pig Request
How do you know if you’re about to request a flying pig? Ask yourself:
• Does what I’m asking violate fundamental technical constraints?
• Has any expert in the field said this is a bad idea?
• Am I expecting cutting-edge innovation on a shoestring budget?
• Am I demanding perfection when good enough will do?
If the answer to any of these is yes, congratulations — you might be trying to make a pig fly.
How to Stop the Madness
1. Understand the Limits of Technology
Just because something is theoretically possible doesn’t mean it’s practical. Yes, you can train a machine learning model to detect every anomaly in real-time with near-perfect accuracy — but it will require a fortune in computing power, data infrastructure, and expertise. Instead of demanding the moon, understand the trade-offs and work within them.
2. Prioritize Outcomes Over Fantasy Features
A project should solve a problem, not fulfill a sci-fi fantasy. Instead of asking for perfection, ask, “What’s the most efficient way to achieve the desired business outcome?” Accepting 90% accuracy at a fraction of the cost is often a better bet than chasing 100% accuracy that will never arrive.
3. Trust Your Technical Teams
Good engineers and data scientists love solving problems, but they hate nonsense. If they tell you something isn’t feasible, listen. If they propose an alternative that meets 90% of your needs at 50% of the cost, take it.
4. Budget Realistically
Innovation isn’t free. If you want to push boundaries, prepare to pay for it. If you have a startup budget but expect Google-level AI, you’re asking for a flying pig. Either scale down expectations or scale up the investment.
5. Be Willing to Pivot
The best managers know when to change direction. If a feature or requirement turns out to be unworkable, don’t keep forcing it. Shift to something that delivers value without defying reality.
The Bottom Line
No one wants to be the manager who keeps asking for the impossible while their team quietly rolls their eyes. If you want success in tech, data, or any complex project, stop chasing flying pigs. Instead, build something real, achievable, and valuable — because, in the end, that’s what actually moves the business forward.
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