In the last few decades it has become fashionable to adopt a higher risk profile in pursuit of flexibility, agility, competitiveness and ultimately higher profits. We are told by the experts that risk can be managed, mitigated, hedged. We all know how well that turned out for the financial industry in the 1980s, again in the 1990s, and again in the 2000s. Are we learning yet?
The hard fact about a higher risk profile is that sooner or later you will crash. Just because you got away with it last time doesn't mean you will next time.
We all tut tut about those evil bankers, and then we go and do it in IT.