see Quantity Beats Quality (more)

Francisco Javier Varela García (September 7, 1946 – May 28, 2001) was a Chilean biologist, philosopher, cybernetician, and neuroscientist who, together with his mentor Humberto Maturana, is best known for introducing the concept of autopoiesis to biology, and for co-founding the Mind and Life Institute to promote dialog between science and Buddhism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Varela

FUTURE HISTORY SERIES, Volume V, REAL-IZED BY TIMOTHY LEARY, Ph.D.; Starring The 24 Stages of Your Neurological Tarot (more)

Attitude expressed by Robert Anton Wilson. (more)

daughter of Ted Barnett; working in crypto

Gaslighting is a term used in self-help and amateur psychology to describe a dynamic that can occur in personal relationships (romantic or parental) and in workplace relationships.[13][14] Gaslighting involves two parties: the "gaslighter", who persistently puts forth a false narrative in order to manipulate, and the "gaslighted", who struggles to maintain their individual autonomy.[15][16] Gaslighting is typically effective only when there is an unequal power dynamic or when the gaslighted has shown respect to the gaslighter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting

John Cutler: TBM 254: Self-Gaslighting and the Doubt Loop. Many of the dynamics we deal with at work are not overtly toxic or unhealthy. We know people mean well and do their best, even when nerves fray and things don't pan out. However, left unchecked, these situations (and how you respond to them) erode your sense of self-worth and sap your self-awareness. They can ultimately be even more damaging than acute toxic situations. (more)

high agency - a personality trait (more)

In doing Agile Product Development, there can be a tension between a "top-down" (I don't mean exec-driven, I mean mental-stack) Product Vision/Product Strategy/Conceptual Integrity and an incremental/iterative process of Thinking In Bets. (more)

model/structure of multiple metrics for your organization; see esp Schmidt Backlinks below. (more)

Statistical process control (SPC) or statistical quality control (SQC) is the application of statistical methods to monitor and control the quality of a production process. This helps to ensure that the process operates efficiently, producing more specification-conforming products with less waste scrap. SPC can be applied to any process where the "conforming product" (product meeting specifications) output can be measured. Key tools used in SPC include run charts, control charts, a focus on continuous improvement, and the design of experiments. An example of a process where SPC is applied is manufacturing lines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_process_control see also XMR

Robert Heinlein: A human being should be able to: change a diaper, plan an (more)

Olivia Barnett on Late Capitalism, Flip Flops, and Fictional Geniuses. I have spent far too much time thinking about an achingly aggravating character in Sally Rooney’s new(ish) book: Intermezzo. I quite liked Normal People. I liked Conversations with Friends, too. Rooney’s characters are charmingly clumsy and real. The writing caught me, and the lives she created were engaging. (more)

Olivia Barnett: Co-worker Boyfriend. Of all the risks that I am taking this year, the most significant to me is the potential cost of building with my partner. The common wisdom is not to do it. I can definitely understand why this is the standard advice. Work and love shouldn’t mix, in theory. (more)

Olivia Barnett: Mike, Reconsidered. Reading Robert Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress in the age of ChatGPT was startling. (more)

Olivia Barnett: Taking My Interests Seriously. Day 9 of building our mini app. We’re close to releasing — hopefully tomorrow! (more)

Olivia Barnett: WFH Is Not For Me! I had only been working at my first job out of college for about six months before Covid-19 hit. So nearly the entirety of my professional career has been post-Covid and therefore remote-first. Typically, I do not like working from home. Even in college, I don’t think I used my dorm room desk one time. I also avoided the dark, airless libraries of my college. I opted instead for the warmth and liveliness of coffee shops. (more)

Olivia Barnett: The Programming Time Chasm. It is shocking how, after three jobs as a software engineer, I still always underestimate how much time a task will take me. I don’t think I am this bad at estimating in other aspects of my life. (more)

Olivia Barnett: Are All Atheists Unhappy? I was raised in San Francisco by two deeply atheist parents. Needless to say, I have never been religious. (more)

Olivia Barnett: Pilot! Welcome! For context, I’ve gone and done something a bit drastic. Within the last month, my boyfriend and I both quit our jobs, sold nearly all of our things, moved out of two apartments in succession, and took a red-eye flight out of New York City to Portugal. We’ve been planning this escape since the end of July. (more)