This edition of “Who, Me?” brings the remarkable account of ‘Slim,’ an IT head at a global trading firm in Asia. With tech operations crucial to trading success, a simple mishap could mean disaster. As his company surged forward and acquired new server space, Slim was tasked with expanding his team. He received an admin whose knack for shortcuts often led to half-baked solutions.

The datacenter they expanded into had racks incompatible with their server mounts due to outdated screw holes. This posed a significant installation challenge. Slim delegated the task to the new admin, who promised progress as purchase orders rolled in. Yet, time ticked slowly, and the admin’s updates weren’t reassuring.

A catastrophic alert came in during trading hours—systems downed completely. Upon inquiry, the admin denied interference, but the truth came to light swiftly. In an attempt to modify rack fittings, he opted to bring a home drill and haphazardly widen the holes—without the necessary skills or tools, and worse, during peak operation.

Operating in ‘Concrete Mode’ inadvertently triggered a resonance that wrecked every single hard disk, invaluable servers, and crucial trading gateways. It was the center’s manager who caught him red-handed, selling the damage beyond repair. Slim was left to deal with the aftermath, which haunted him long after he left the role.

For Slim, the careless escalation that day was an unforgettable nightmare, best summarized by the admin’s sly avoidance of future references—he truly was clever in his way. This cautionary tale for IT professionals reminds that opportunity and preparation need management to ensure skill over slapdash solutions.