The conundrum seems to be how you install a primary safety system with massive control authority- MCAS, make sure it can’t be accidentally disabled, while passing off the Max as “just another B737” to Boeing’s customers.
What is going to hurt Boeing, speaking as a former employee of a Boeing customer, is the breach of trust implicit in what Boeing has done before during and now after these incidents. Up until now I always thought of Boeing as the most trustworthy name in aviation.