Just More Corporate HR Marketing, or...

I'm still evolving. I hope you are too. It means you're alive. Possibly troubled, but alive.

I got contacted this week by what appeared to be a good employer. On the surface it appeared to be a good job and a good company. Maybe better than that, even. Maybe great.

The opening words to my reply were: "I thought I'd deleted my resume from every place it was posted, after getting spam for .Net jobs in New York City for about two months, so was surprised to hear from you. But that's OK."

The part of the recruitment announcement that caught my attention was "our development philosophy is to write software correctly the first time, without shortcuts; to build reusable components whenever possible for use across all of our development projects; and to ensure that our existing code base is our biggest asset, rather than a liability."

Yow!

Then they went on to say how one of their people was working on an Ajax tool to generate scaffolds in Ruby on Rails.

Yow! They work with Rails!

Of their 10 requirements, I met nine, but not the first, Ruby on Rails experience in production applications. I've been trying but haven't made it there yet. Possibly due to sloth. To get there, since I have no experience, I'll have to manufacture experience, by going out and finding freelance work, which then may still not qualify, in the eyes of an employer.

But what's a fella gonna do, I ask yers, what then?

I decided not to strain myself by leaping at it. The job is in an isolated city of 30,000, and the person who contacted me, the company's technology manager, has the same name as someone who went to school in that town, and has been active in posting comments about religious subjects hither and thither.

I've been lucky enough to have had lots of fun experiences in life. Among them being trapped in a small town, and working at small companies owned by families who gossip about their employees over lunch, and being approached by my boss and given religious pamphlets to read. And most fun of all, not all at the same place, so it wasn't just one scary black hole in a world full of light and the smell of roses.

Still...

Then, thinking more, several other things about this company began to worry at me with little teeth. They started in 2001 with two employees and had 60 as of a year ago. Why? Why do they need so many, and how does this mesh with precision software development? Wouldn't you expect to find people throwing things around, just to get their work backlogs down? And wouldn't you expect there to be a lot of chaos?

I think you would, no?

Thinking more, a process which may or may not be good for me, but which I can't quit (though I did give up smoking many long years ago), I began wondering what made this company special.

They have a good idea. It's sort of like a social networking site to pre-qualify contractors and bring them together with customers for home improvement work, plus some glass and automotive stuff mixed in as well. Brilliant idea, in fact. Nearly recession-proof.

But they advertise dead plain and simple, just like everyone else. When you read the ideas they lay out and think back, what you imagine is just another business. You don't think fun, quirky, imaginative and welcoming workplace where you can finally fit in and make a difference.

What you think about is all those classified ads you've read over the years that all say exactly the same thing in the same way, some better than others:

CORPORATE

Research & Development

To become a recognized leader in the food industry it takes a successful pattern of constant growth with many new and innovative projects on the horizon. A true phenomenon occurs when brilliant research minds meet the challenge of a technological society. At Star-Kist, makers of 9-Lives cat food, and Jerky Treats dog snacks, we are committed to this through the caliber of our employees. If you would like the opportunity to show what you can do, we have something for you...

Successful candidate must have experience in pet foods or low-acid canned foods...

Right. You can hardly avoid stepping in it.

So back to "my" company:

We reward ambition with a pay-for-performance plan that includes a competitive compensation package, including bonuses for meeting/exceeding performance goals.

Which, as I noted in my reply, could mean that they have a really great place, or it could be all knife fights all the time, winner take all, or it could be so-so yawn time. Can't tell. Can't see anything through the haze of HR bafflegab.

By this time, of course, I'd decided that I didn't want to drive 300 miles for an interview just to be told that they really wanted someone with paid experience, just as they'd said, so I had nothing to lose and was honest.

But I was trying to be helpful. Really. I pointed out some things like this, like how their words were really great but how they nevertheless sounded like just another PR machine. I've been burned before. You can tell, can't you?

More snooping around their web site paid off. They offer six days of vacation the first year, nine the second, and then it shoots up to 12 days and stays there forever. Six days a year? This is a cutting-edge company? I'd rather get more time off instead of a raise, or better yet, get time to do interesting things on the job with a flat two weeks a year. Never mind that Australians and Europeans expect a month, no questions asked.

What happens when a staffer exceeds expectations, say? What if I worked there, and invented a way to shave eight hours a week off the time for my tasks? What would they let me do with that extra day? Would they even think that way? Would they ever assume that the time was then mine?

Hard to say, but I bet not. I bet they grind. Grind through the work. Grind out profits. All of which is OK, but where is the payoff? What do you get for working besides enough pay to keep going? What do you get to feed your soul?

They don't say.

As I said clearly in my resume, I'm a generalist. I do lots of things, most of them well and a few exceedingly well, and am looking for a place where I can make a difference doing interesting things in a supportive environment. (Three things, count 'em.)

I think of Humanized, which I stumbled on at about that time. I got the idea that I would have liked to send them money just because they deserved it. It was clear that they were all so smart that they'd never even let me shine their shoes, but if somehow I ran into one of them at a party, I'd probably have a lot of fun, and learn so much that my head would hurt for weeks.

They presented themselves as a few people on a mission. It sounded as though they really cared about what they did and why they did it, and as though they had at least three or four major interests each, outside of their work. The message was clear and engaging. They were different.

They weren't recruiting, but if they had been, people from everywhere would have been climbing all over each other to get there. It's absolutely clear that they were not the same old whatever.

And that's why I'm still unemployed, or, um, er, still in the process of getting my company started.

Yes. That sounds much better.

Damn. Did I just outsmart myself again with all this thinking?

Ahem.

 

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Have anything worth adding? Then try sosayseff@nullabigmail.com
Me? Recently nominated for something by someone, somewhere.

 

Etc...

so says eff: sporadic spurts of grade eff distraction
definitions: outdoor terms
fiyh: dave's little guide to ultralight backpacking stoves
boyb: dave's little guide to backpacks
snorpy bits: nibbling away at your sanity
last seen receding: missives from a certain mobile homer
noseyjoe: purposefully poking my proboscis into technicals

Getting Your Head On Straight

There is a fundamental problem in building software, and that is deciding what to build. It is fundamental because everything else rests on this one decision, and it is often overlooked, or made in the wrong way. Because everything else depends on it, you have to start at ground level, from first principles, if you want to make a sound decision.

Thinking from first principles is simple but hard. Very hard.

The need for a piece of software may come from several directions. It may arise because of a critical need of the business. Then again it may be only a perceived need. It could be an impulse, driven by one strong personality or the tide of politics internal to the business. This would not be good.

You may need software because of new laws that must be complied with, from fear of competition, or just because you're feeling a little behind and want to keep up with trends by copying everyone else.

A good reason will arise from a true need, and if carried through it may result in a real benefit to your business. If you are working from faulty principles though, you will have not only a poor foundation but a poor result.

You need to know your business through and through. And your customers. One way or another you are in business to do something for someone else, something they cannot do, or do not want to do, so they come to you. If you can deliver they will be glad to pay you what you need to get by. But you do have to keep their needs in sight.

Somewhere along the way you will have to deal with staff, even if you are self-employed. The people you directly employ are the experts in running the business. They know how things work, and when, and all of them are acutely aware of exactly everything that does not work. They are your surface of contact with customers, the membrane your business breathes through, its nerve endings.

Staying close to your customer's needs is critical, but so is anticipating where they might be going, so you need to make your decisions match the long term interests of the business. With the customers, and your staff, and the long term in mind, go for the greatest gain possible from the minimum investment, but always focusing on that "greatest gain".

Plan to start small, with something functional, something you can use tomorrow, or the day after, but don't shoot for something sometime next year. You need to start small and see how it feels, then let the software evolve and accrete over time while it's being used, and lead you to a successful end point.

Evolution is a wonderful thing, and it has a proven track record.

If you build software that your business really needs, and start small, and keep adding to it, then you will get to keep testing it every day, starting from the first day, when that software is still very small and very simple.

Daily stressing of any living thing is the best way to have it grow up to be strong. The more you use the first parts you create, the more time you will have to fill all the gaps, and build more and more strength. As time goes by, your foundation will be more than strong enough to support the whole edifice, no matter how big it gets, and the whole structure will have been thoroughly tested by time.

By starting small you will also be able to stay within your budget, and within your competence, and assess all risks. You can measure small things pretty easily, so when faced with small problems you will be able to head them off, knowing that they do exist, and knowing exactly where they are, and that they are small. You can also measure progress a whole lot better on a small project. Because it is small, it is small enough to understand.

By starting small you can also keep an eye on resources. Not just money, but time and the energy of your staff as well. Burning through your money, wasting your time, and flaming out your staff are all bad, but much less likely to happen when your project starts small and grows organically.

Then, with a little success under your belt, and because you have learned to assess risks and measure resources, you can think about going outside your areas of maximum comfort and competence and gradually branch into new areas.

But first, last, and always, you have to keep your head on straight. There are some deep pits to fall into. Maybe you don't need software at all. If you do, you will likely be better off buying something rather than building it.

If you do decide to build software, there are two attitudes you especially want to avoid. One is dismissive, and it runs something like "Why should I have to get involved? You're the computer people. You should know what to do."

The other is arrogant, and follows the rule that we all have running around in our heads, no matter who we are, that if I don't understand something, then it can't be important, so I don't have to pay attention to it.

Considering that about 80% of software projects still fail all these decades after computer programming became a thing, you really want to avoid a losing attitude. If you are going down the route of building software, then you have to be real. You have to be serious about knowing what you want, why you want it, and what it will do.

You need a real plan, you need coordination, and you have to measure everything and make sure that you are on track. You need to keep checking your sanity all the way through, and every day you need to wonder if this is really the right thing to be doing.

If you don't treat software development like a real job, it can eat you up and put you right out of business. It happens every day.

 

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Have anything worth adding? Then try sosayseff@nullabigmail.com
Me? Yep.

 

Etc...

so says eff: sporadic spurts of grade eff distraction
definitions: outdoor terms
fiyh: dave's little guide to ultralight backpacking stoves
boyb: dave's little guide to backpacks
snorpy bits: nibbling away at your sanity
last seen receding: missives from a certain mobile homer
noseyjoe: purposefully poking my proboscis into technicals

Sheep Sheep Poo Poo

First comes the grass.

Then the sheeps.

Poo follows shortly. Endlessly. Forever.

A resource waiting for its chance to shine.

All poo really needs is a chance. A chance to show the world what it is capable of. A chance to prove its worth. A chance to reach into the note card market, bookmarks, and, yes -- air fresheners.

Creative Paper Wales is a creative paper company in Wales, wherever that is. Possibly near an ocean. Maybe on an island. An island infested with sheep.

What to do? Where to find creativity?

Ah, the sheep. Close at hand, ever churning away at the grass, veritable fountains of poo.

Creative Paper Wales, located at Twll Golau Paper Mill, Aberllefenni Slate Quarry, Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom, said: "Yes, we can do it." So they did.

You can too. "Making simple and attractive paper is enormous fun and remarkably easily learned. You can do it yourself with improvised home made equipment...start making your own paper at home using a kitchen blender." Presumably a spare, but who knows? You can visit Creative Paper Wales's site to find out.

And pursue answers to other questions such as "What is the furthest a sheep has ever flown, unaided?", "When faced with a 'water emergency' a sheep will...", and so on. Sounds like real fun.

Oh, and where can you buy "Rose fragranced Poo-Pourri", and so on.

No, seriously. They really do this.

Update: They really did this. Gone now. Poo is like that. Company dissolved around ten years ago. So, OK, good idea anyway. Creativity is like that.

Some images are still available if you search.

 

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Have anything worth adding? Then try sosayseff@nullabigmail.com
Me? Freshly washed and all sparkly, my hands too.

 

Etc...

so says eff: sporadic spurts of grade eff distraction
definitions: outdoor terms
fiyh: dave's little guide to ultralight backpacking stoves
boyb: dave's little guide to backpacks
snorpy bits: nibbling away at your sanity
last seen receding: missives from a certain mobile homer
noseyjoe: purposefully poking my proboscis into technicals

Your Training Wheels

Throw them out.

The craftsman loves the tools while the artist despises them.

Odd, innit?

Look at the idea.

Odd, innit?

Like this: The artist has a vision to animate. The craftsperson likes comfy familiarity.

The artist burns with creativity, and lives to create. The craftsperson seeks a cozy workshop.

Routine.

A place to go, to hang out.

That's enough. For some.

But not for artists. Not for grownups. Not for leaders.

It is easy to carry training wheels into adulthood. But awkward once there. Limiting.

They help at first.

They get you going.

But you have to leave them behind, or you can only keep circling the same block.

In the world of business it's doing what others are doing. Being trendy.

Being contemporary. In the groove.

Worrying what others think.

Fitting in.

Looking impressive.

Bluffing.

Like it was a few years back: dot com.

The burn rate, the office furniture, the sleek desks, the fancy chairs, the company cars, the shiny buildings.

Which resulted in you-know-what.

Copying, a great way to start.

Get a feel for it all. Do what others have done. Slot in. Learn.

But you can't stay there.

Or you never grow up.

Richard Feynman, after selection to the National Academy of Sciences, resigned. Because. Members were more interested in status than science.

Fluff over fundamentals.

In the end you need to produce.

The more talented someone is, the more they burn to do.

The more strongly they want. To be alive, to make something live.

The less they mess around.

No frills. No props. No pretension. No cover. No distraction.

Sit down. Think. Decide. Do. See how it feels.

Repeat until done.

Maybe, just then, you realize you've created what no one else ever has.

Life without a net.

Running without crutches.

Driving past the training wheel stage.

Do it.

A thought from 2011.

 

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Have anything worth adding? Then try sosayseff@nullabigmail.com
Me? Hoping that some day I'll manage to live up to this level.

 

Etc...

so says eff: sporadic spurts of grade eff distraction
definitions: outdoor terms
fiyh: dave's little guide to ultralight backpacking stoves
boyb: dave's little guide to backpacks
snorpy bits: nibbling away at your sanity
last seen receding: missives from a certain mobile homer
noseyjoe: purposefully poking my proboscis into technicals

Exploration Phase

Lost in the jungles of possibility.

I used to keep seeing a blog about fashion. Women's. Somehow.

It kept showing up. And. Now and then I took a look. Not obsessively, but...

Because.

a) It was written by a lovely woman.

b) Sometimes the titles tickled me fancy.

c) The woman who wrote it (lovely) had her husband photograph her in her constantly changing outfits (nice). You know — nice.

d) The woman was lovely.

So, cool. Cool for me, in a pleasant way. Not the point though.

Here I start sounding cranky. Then she had to show off a new apartment.

Struck me, it did, this thing — Her drawers.

No — the other ones. So neat. So tidy. So perfect.

Bathroom arrangements. Toothpaste, bits of necessity in ranked orderly array.

She knew what she wanted, what she needed, and she made it so.

Her design was set.

She had her template.

She knew what worked.

She had a franchise for living.

She was so tidy and clean and organized that my teeth ached. Or something. Something ached. Maybe it was the teeth. There was an aching going on.

Her life, its organization, her pride in it, like a parking lot at the end of a road. The product. The result. The manifestation. The culmination. The good idea fully fulfilled. A patented pattern. Fruition.

Good ideas, where do they start though? How?

Not printed 30 by 40 on glossy paper in six colors, handed out on street corners. Not to start.

Not laid out grid by grid with millimeter precision. Not to start.

Tidiness preserves. Tidiness tidies, suppresses. Tidiness is good, once you have a thing, to keep that thing squeaky and bright clean, in order, perfectly, forever. But you don't invent tidily.

Inventiveness needs mess. For inspiration. At least some. Some mess.

With some mess (not too much) and some disorder (a reasonable amount) you get hope of inspiration.

You never know. That's the thing.

You never know. Where or when or how or from what direction.

Creative destruction and creative anarchy are siblings. Don't be a slob, but cultivate fermentation. The right kind of mess can be in your head, and sit there comfortably, invisibly, a nest of ideas genially partying in the back room and tickling you every now and again.

Get to know the process first, see what comes of it, and judge later. You judge later.

Up front, float when you have a problem or an assignment, for a while. Float for a while. Wander. In case of inspiration, take notes then.

Be friendly, and welcoming to strangers, especially if they're emerging from your head. The right people, at the right time, too, in the right place, are good to have. The right teammates.

Explore. Explore it all. While maintaining a subcritical mass. For a bit. While you wait for the thousand flowers to bloom.

That is: First, make mistakes. Leave room for them. Kill time by making lists.

Mix them up. Randomize. See what you get. Or not. See it all.

Anyway, welcome the unexpected on its terms. Be stupid and open-minded, as the best are, innocently. The best creators.

There be fun things, new things, creative things yonder. Yonder — some far yonders but some near yonders too.

When you come to something, face-to-face-wise, and it takes your breath away, and you're not sure exactly what is happening, and when you recover, but not really — then. Then.

Then you have something. You have something when you look at it and get dizzy all over and over again.

After that you can get organized.

Have anything worth adding? Then try sosayseff@nullabigmail.com
Me? Feeling smart today. About time for another faceplant then, I guess.

 

Etc...

so says eff: sporadic spurts of grade eff distraction
definitions: outdoor terms
fiyh: dave's little guide to ultralight backpacking stoves
boyb: dave's little guide to backpacks
snorpy bits: nibbling away at your sanity
last seen receding: missives from a certain mobile homer
noseyjoe: purposefully poking my proboscis into technicals