Researchers have made a crucial discovery in the field of quantum-state engineering, demonstrating that reliable control of quantum systems requires a deep understanding of the interplay between the system and its environment. In a study of parametrically coupled qubits, it was found that two different dissipative descriptions can produce similar population spectra, but vastly different entanglement properties1. This highlights the importance of considering the Floquet modes of the driven system, rather than just its population spectroscopy. The implications of this research are significant, as it suggests that traditional methods of characterizing quantum systems may be insufficient for engineering reliable quantum computing devices. So what matters to practitioners is that this breakthrough has the potential to inform the development of more robust quantum computing architectures, ultimately enhancing the security and capabilities of these systems.