innovation culture
Data management is the problem that programming is supposed to solve. But of course now that we have computers everywhere, we keep generating more data, which requires more programming, and so forth. It’s a hell of a problem with no end in sight. This is why people in technology make so much money. Not only do they sell infinitely reproducible... See more
PAUL FORD • Paul Ford: What Is Code? | Bloomberg
In my first week, diving into the Linear UI redesign, I realized how powerful this focused environment could be. Without the constant need to over-communicate or ‘prove’ productivity, I could pour all my energy into the craft itself. Over time, this environment has allowed me to work with a sense of calm and purpose, even when tackling high-stakes... See more
A journey of craft built on trust, confidence, and focus
I wish patronage were widely adopted as an explicit social norm. So-called “gentleman scientists” and patron-funded scientists, such as Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton, were behind some of the biggest scientific advancements in the 17th through 19th centuries. I think we got a little confused with the introduction of crowdfunding in the early... See more
Nadia Asparouhova • Nadia Asparouhova on antimemetics, nuclear mysticism, and scrolling
4. Ever wonder about the vast universe of critically acclaimed aesthetic masterworks, most of which you do not really fathom? If you dismiss them, and mistrust the critics, odds are that you are wrong and they are right. You do not have the context to appreciate those works. That is fine, but no reason to dismiss that which you do not understand.... See more
Tyler Cowen • “Context is that which is scarce”
This silicon union of intellect and action creates a culture fond of big ideas. The expectation that anyone sufficiently intelligent can grasp, and perhaps master, any conceivable subject incentivizes technologists to become conversant in as many subjects as possible. The technologist is thus attracted to general, sweeping ideas with application... See more
The Scholar's Stage • The Silicon Valley Canon: On the Paıdeía of the American Tech Elite
I think there is a similar fallacy for how we consider engineering organizations. Many of today’s “best practices” have been drawn from long-established internet companies like Google. However, the problem with copying their current practices on the basis of their success is that most of those companies found near-invincible business models that... See more