Much of my career boils down to:
All code is liability. Minimize it.
Feedback loops are everywhere. Speed them up; do them more.
We’re bad at predicting the future. Avoid it.
More tests.
Hire smart, motivated people, then get out of their way.
Find the right thing to turn off and on again.
Interesting…
@snarfed.org every line of code is a millstone round your neck. And AI is very good now at adding to the weight we all now have to carry. I’m yet to see it do a good job of a refactor, without HEAVY guidance
that last bit solves more practical troubleshooting than any other skill or action. dont even ask me anything until you’ve run through that.
@snarfed.org Once a year or so I’m reminded that my mental state is a combination of healthy food, enough sleep, regular exercise, being outside, social connection, and (this is the part I keep forgetting) very little else.
Sometimes the answers, like what you’ve provided here, are so simple that we can’t help but mess them up.
@snarfed.org
Fix misaligned incentives.
Fix the users’ actual problems.
Figure out what people are afraid of and address that.
Iterate.
I personally find it hard to avoid the future. It keeps on coming.
@snarfed.org
I have two rules about prediction:
2. Humans are hopeless at prediction. In one survey tracking thousands of pundits, the best was a Wall St broker who hit 63%, just ahead of a journalist who predicted Oscars.
My take-away is, no matter how absurd my adversary may seem, they have a 37% chance of being right. 😅
@snarfed.org Could you elaborate on “Find the right thing to turn off and on again.”?
@snarfed.org > Feedback loops are everywhere. Speed them up; do them more.
I’d say do them earlier, not more often? In my experiences, too many feedback cycles can also lead to perfectionism and micro-improvements while delaying the process overly.
@snarfed.org
The 11th commandment
Check your data first.
Amen