I’ve heard it said that you should live your life with no regrets. This is bullshit. We’re going to have regrets. We’re going to get things wrong and wish we could have done it differently. We’re going to wish we had said something. Not said something. Said it differently. Held out a hand instead of walking away. Walked away instead of following. Said a kind word. Put away the anger and the ego. Read more...

Building software is ultimately about three high-level goals. The first, and arguably most important, solve problems. Second, manage complexity. Third, enable change. If the work you are doing isn’t getting to the heart of one of these pillars, it’s possible you are focused on the wrong thing. Sometimes, we churn unnecessarily on the nonessential. At points like this, we need to take a step back and evaluate. Is this really the best use of our time? Read more...

Another year has arrived. Are you thrilled about it? Pessimistic? Just happy to see the previous one gone? Well, here we are at a new milestone, arbitrary as it might be in the scheme of things 1. All that potential seems magical. All those untapped days and hours ahead of us across yet another expanse of time. We look ahead with optimism and imagine what we can do this time around. Read more...

Stop for a moment and consider that no one will ever know you. There is only knowing their perception of you. The self-concept we carry around is based on an understanding, however flawed, of our own rich, inner landscape. Our thoughts and aspirations, our personal struggles, the generous advocate and scathing critic. That is who we know ourselves to be. Others do not see that. They have their own mental model (also flawed and incomplete) of who you are based on a limited set of interactions where the only available signals are your words and actions. Read more...

Psychology and neuroscience are interesting topics for me. I’m by no means enmeshed in these fields, but I’ve always been fascinated by the complexity and capability of the human mind. We are Paleolithic hunter-gatherer primates that managed to create a global civilization far beyond our simple beginnings. All because of the capacity and flexibility of our minds. Of course, it’s not all white magic and high art that we play with. Read more...