Comment by ArkyBeagle

On "Should I press point 'x'", do a divide and conquer on it. Try to reduce the number of degrees of freedom from that decision point to a minimum.

IMO, you have to live with the ambiguity, but try to craft strategies that cover both with minimal ... perturbation. Waiting helplessly is not an option :) If all else fails, strawman the least cost solution first.

I also think there's value in having some measure of dissent from within the team. Done right, you'll synthesize solutions you would not otherwise have come up with. But you want this to be without rancor and without sinking large amounts of time.

On "... where and how to involve QA processes in the build/deploy process" - make a complete list of steps, then balance which gets included as the risk profile emerges. Good risk analysis includes a comprehensive and complete plan for what happens when a step fails.

Finally, you simply have to manage perception. Quantify, quantify, quantify. As if you don't have enough to do....