ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Failure mode

Failure mode is a way of thinking about how things can go wrong. It's like a game of "what if?" – what might happen if something isn't done right or if something breaks? It's like looking for the worst possible things that could happen so that you can make sure they don't happen. It helps us think ahead and plan for problems before they happen. It's like a safety net to help us avoid disaster.