It's about the curry

A talk on craft, survivor bias, and focusing on the details

Transcript

1. It’s about the curry
   Ricardo J. Méndez
   ricardo@numergent.com
   @ArgesRic
   https://mastodon.social/@ricardojmendez
   

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2. @ArgesRic http://tiny.cc/rjm
   The biases
   • Software engineer
   • Running teams for ~20 years
   • Running a consultancy for 10+ years
   • Can end up working with 2-3 teams a year.
   

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3. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
   Sure, we all love craft.
   Totally.
   

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4. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
   Can’t define it.
   Some high and lofty artistry-
   focused definition
   

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5. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
   Nobody likes to be an assembly line
   piece waiting to be automated.

   

   Craft sounds like a good way of not
   getting Mechanical Turk’d.
   

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6. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
   Doing things by hand? Skill?
   Tradition? Quality?
   

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7. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
   Consistently avoiding shortcuts
   so you can get a better result.
   

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8. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
   

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9. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
   

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10. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    

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11. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    

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12. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    

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13. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    

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14. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    

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15. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Survivor Bias
    

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16. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    That’s an end state, not a
    process.
    

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17. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    

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18. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    "Most people have too exalted an idea of what
    art must be to connect their own impulses to
    create with delivering themselves."
    — David Cronenberg
    

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19. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Consistently avoiding shortcuts
    so you can get a better result.
    

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20. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Find allies who share your
    aesthetics
    

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21. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Everybody can tolerate doing
    something ugly, but for a while.
    

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22. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    “Wow, that's nice”
    “I found a beautiful fix for this case”
    “You should see how well this all fits together”
    

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23. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Shared aesthetics help with
    definitions.
    

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24. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Allies are not just co-workers.
    

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25. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    

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26. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Shared aesthetics generate trust.
    

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27. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Shared aesthetics make jamming
    easier
    

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28. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    

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29. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Your focus is on doing your part.
    

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30. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    

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31. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    You’ll need know to pick up after
    others, to help.
    So will they.
    

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32. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Enjoying the aesthetics of what
    you're creating is rewarding.
    

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33. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Diversity generates interesting
    aesthetics.
    

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34. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Running a team?
    You’re not a conductor,
    you’re a stage hand.
    

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35. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Shortcuts are tempting
    

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36. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Arrange situations so doing the
    right thing is easier.
    

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37. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Define best practices.
    Build good habits.
    Train. Repeat.
    

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38. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Best practices don’t care if you’re
    having a good day.
    

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39. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Allies are part of this support
    structure.
    

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40. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    A tolerance for past mistakes
    

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41. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Improvement correlates with
    how much you can tolerate
    cringing at your past work.
    

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42. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Allies give you perspective.
    Allies challenge you.
    

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43. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Yes, you will exert yourself
    

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44. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    The wrong people will turn your
    entire day into table-flipping
    o'clock.
    

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45. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Crafting is about shaping the
    result
    

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46. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Find a place where people see
    the value you provide.
    

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47. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    It’s not an extra, it’s the job
    

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48. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Focus. Work.
    Consistently.
    

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49. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Not the CCO
    

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50. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Don’t let the madness
    get lost in the method
    

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51. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    You need to bring something
    from yourself.
    

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52. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Frameworks are training wheels
    for the mind.
    

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53. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Frameworks are other people’s
    choices.
    

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54. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Wait, didn’t you just say…?
    

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55. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    A certain disregard for authority
    

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56. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Whatever experience they have.
    Whomever they are.
    

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57. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    *And that includes me.
    

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58. @ArgesRic https://tiny.cc/rjm
    Thank You
    

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