Principles

These are notes and points of interest that I've picked up over the years of reading books, listening to podcasts, reading blogs, and otherwise learned myself, often the hard way.

Prioritize Craftsmanship

• Focus on the quality and craftsmanship of your work. This involves caring deeply about the work you do, understanding the issue at hand, exploring possible solutions, planning effectively, and executing with precision.
• However, don’t let the desire for perfection prevent you from completing and shipping your work. Focus on delivering good-quality products instead of waiting to achieve the best possible outcome, which can lead to procrastination.
• Resources:
  • A Career Manifesto, Cal Newport

Strategy Drives Tactics

• "Execution without a strategy is aimless, strategy without execution is useless." – Morris Chang.
• "Good tactics can save even the worst strategy. Bad tactics will destroy even the best strategy." – George S. Patton
• Resources:
  • Strategy vs Tactics in Software Development

First, Seek to Understand the Issue

• "A problem well defined is a problem half solved." This means acknowledging that the process of understanding a problem, its scope, its causes, etc., is an essential part of solving issues.
• Avoid the temptation to dive into solving a problem that is not fully understood.
• Make sure you ask - are we trying to solve the right problem?
• Resources:
  • Understanding Your Problem Is Half the Solution

Acknowledge and Challenge Your Assumptions and Cognitive Biases

• "It's not the things you don't know that trip you up. It's the things you think you know, but you don't. You fail to ask a certain question because you believe you know the answer. Separating your information from your assumptions can be very tricky business." -Claudia Gray
• Understand that your preconcieved notions have an outsizes effect on your decision making.
• By acknowledging and challenging your preconcieved notions, you can more clearly evaluate situations and communicate.
• Resources:
  • In Progress

Work at a Natural Pace

• Use time blocking.
• Embrace the ebb and flow of productivity. Use lulls in demands to evaluate strategy. Switch contexts when you need a mental break.
• "We overestimate what we can accomplish in the short term, and underestimate what we can accomplish in the long term."
• "The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -Albert Allen Bartlett
• Resources:
  • In Progress

Prioritize and Execute

• Deliberately plan your day and your tasks. Don't live in a reactive state.
• Use time blocking and deep work strategies to maximize effectiveness.
• Resources:
  • Slow Productivity in Action

Process Drives Technology, Ideally

• Ideally, technologies should be built to support well-planned and well-executed processes. Processes should not be tailored to the artificial limitations of a specific technology.
• But sometimes, technologies and capabilities must dictate the processes we use. Knowing when to compromise and which solutions is ideal, is the key to success.
• Resources:
  • Should I adapt processes to technology or vice versa?

Own Your Work, But Empower Others

• Take responsibility for things that affect you.
• Every leader makes mistakes, but only the good ones take responsibility for them.
• Too much ownership equals micro-management. Too little is disconnection. Find the balance.
• Resources:
  • In Progress

Work by First Principals

• Seek to simplify and reduce systems to their natural components.
• Constantly question the purpose of a system.
• The best part is no part.
• Resources:
  • Own It All, But Empower Others

Complexity is the Enemy

• “Simplicity is a great virtue but it requires hard work to achieve it and education to appreciate it. And to make matters worse: complexity sells better.” -Edsger Dijkstra
• Overly complex systems and solutions only increase the burden.
• The simple solution is often the best solution.
• Where possible, complexity should be containerized and abstracted. See "Work by First Principals".
• In code, avoid complex one-liners. Code that is difficult to read, even if clever, is bad code.
• Resources:
  • The Grug Brained Developer
  • Simplicity is An Advantage but Sadly Complexity Sells Better

Communicate Clearly

• Use clear, simple language. Do not mask your intent, and do not make implications. Keep requests simple and concise.
• Share your strategic goals and intent. This allows others to execute without your constant oversight and approval.
• "I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time." -Blaise Pascal
• Resources:
  • In Progress

Ship it!

• Get stuff done. Avoid the procrastination sink hole.
• Results matter. Don't let "perfect" get in the way of "good enough".
• Resources:
  • In Progress

Lead Up and Down the Chain of Command

• Influence subordinates, peers, and superiors through action and deeds.
• Resources:
  • What Is the Difference Between Leadership and Management
  • Building Relationships with Managers at Work

Manage Your Ego

• Always be willing to accept good ideas from others.
• Own up to your mistakes.
• Prioritize the strategic goals over your own personal ego and agenda.
• Resources:
  • In Progress

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

• "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." -Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Ensure that proper planning is performed on a regular basis.
• Avoid the trap of over planning. There is no perfect plan that can account for every situation.
• Resources:
  • In Progress

Take Decisive Action

• "Who Dares, Wins"
• Don't let issues fester. If it needs to be a priority, make it happen!
• Find the balance of taking decisive action, but not making excessive errors.
• First movers often have the advantage.
• Resources:
  • In Progress

Alignment

• At the root of most conflicts is a lack of alignment. If tempers flare, that's a sign to call a time out and align.
• Alignment of strategic and tactical goals is the key to success.
• Resources:
  • The Power of Alignment

Balance

• Be resolute, but not overbearing.
• Work smart, but also work hard.
• Be aggressive, but not reckless.
• Plan carefully, but don't over plan.
• Be a leader, but also be a follower.
• Be focused, but don't lose sight of the big picture.
• Resources:
  • The Dichotomy of Leadership

Use Frameworks

• Make use of existing frameworks whenever possible, to offload cognitive load, and ensure thoroughness.
• If none exist, try to understand issues at a fundamental level (see "Work by First Principals"), and compose a framework yourself.
• Resources:
  • Framework Thinking

Avoid the FOLD

• The Fear of Looking Dumb (FOLD) often means that important questions don't get asked.
• If something is too complex, it's okay to speak up and call it out.
• Resources:
  • Fear of Looking Dumb

Composable Architecture

• Build systems to be modular and composable. Avoid monolithic solutions.
• Using composable architectures allows you to compartmentalize complex components, and also facilitates reuse of functionality.
• Resources:
  • Systems Thinking: Holger Vogel
  • Composable Architecture: The Latest Trend in EA Helping Companies Adapt and Grow

Stay Curious

• Foster genuine curiosity in seeking to understand how things work
• Ask deep, open-ended questions:
  • "What did you make of that?"
  • "Why did you decide to do that?"
  • "Why do you think that is?"
  • "What would you do differently?"
• Loop for understanding. That is, actively listen to the other party, paraphrase the points they made, and then ask them if you got it right.
• Resources:
  • The future belongs to those who prepare like Dwarkesh Patel

Fail Loudly

• Build systems that run silently and fail loudly.
• When facing friction or challenges, don't silently toil and internalize your strife. Speak up - whether to vent or to seek input.
• Resources:
  • How To Encourage Failing Loudly In Your Team

Show Your Work

• Use collaborative, asynchronous communication systems, and tend to overcommunicate on your work.
• Resources:
  • Leaders Show Their Work

Relentless Execution

• Care deeply about your work. See things through to completion. Check the details, care enough to build the best thing you can.
• Try to get to the ["yes" on the other side of the "no"](One example sticks out in my mind of this sort getting to the yes on the other side of a no. )
• Resources:
  • Sholto Douglas

Foster and Prioritize Relationships

• Seek to connect with coworkers, friends and family. Move beyond the transactional interactions, and try to underestand people's stories and motiviations.
• Resources:
  • In Progress