How Mental Models Spread Like Viruses in Engineering Teams
Some mental models spread like wildfire in engineering teams, while others struggle to take hold. Here’s why—and how to make the right ones go viral.
Hey System Thinker,
Ever wonder why some engineers “get it” instantly while others struggle with the same system concepts?
It turns out mental models spread through teams like viruses—some go viral, others fade fast, and a few become endemic to your engineering culture.
Here’s what we’ll explore:
The viral nature of mental models
Creating superspreader events
Building immunity to bad models
Let’s dive in.
Mental Models as Viruses
Understanding how systems work doesn’t just appear—it spreads. And it spreads just like a viral infection, complete with transmission rates and immunity factors.
Some mental models are highly infectious—like the circuit breaker pattern, which spreads rapidly once a few engineers adopt it. Others, despite being valuable, struggle to take hold.
What makes a mental model “go viral”?
Simplicity – The easier it is to explain, the faster it spreads.
Immediate utility – If it solves an urgent problem, it replicates fast.
Cultural fit – Some models thrive in specific engineering environments, while others don’t.
Engineering Superspreader Events
Just like viruses, mental models have superspreader events—situations where they infect multiple engineers in a short time.
Traditional documentation, like Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), often fails at spreading understanding. But debugging sessions during incidents? Those act as powerful superspreader events.
The highest-transmission environments for mental models include:
Incident retrospectives – When something breaks, everyone pays attention.
Pair programming – Direct, hands-on knowledge transfer.
Design reviews – Where engineers debate, refine, and adopt new models.
If you want a mental model to spread, leverage these high-transmission moments.
Building Immunity to Bad Models
Not all mental models are good—misleading, outdated, or oversimplified ones spread just as fast as useful ones.
To build immunity, teams need a culture of critical thinking and systematic validation of mental models.
Ways to strengthen immunity:
Regular “model testing” sessions – Explicitly challenge shared assumptions.
Encourage skepticism – Engineers should question models, not just accept them.
Refine through experience – The best models evolve as teams learn.
This process filters out bad models while reinforcing the ones that actually work.
Conclusion
Engineering teams are complex adaptive systems, where knowledge doesn’t just spread—it transmits like a virus.
By treating knowledge sharing as an epidemiological challenge rather than just a documentation problem, we can intentionally design how understanding spreads.
So, ask yourself: What mental models are currently “going viral” in your team?
And more importantly—are you shaping their transmission, or letting them spread unchecked?
Cheers,
Thiago V Ricieri
System Thinker @ Systematic Success
Engineering Manager, Apps @ Pluto TV / Paramount Global
Founder @ Ghost Ship & Co.
Digital Nomad @ Threads, X.com, Instagram, LinkedIn, GitHub, Website
PS… If you enjoyed this, check out my breakdown of how system architecture shapes team behavior—sometimes turning teams into competitors instead of collaborators. Read it here.