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Weekly Reflection #20 - Play and Rigor
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Each week, I share one insight. One piece of wisdom. One question to reflect on. (and a little Lagniappe) InsightClaude Shannon juggled in the hallways of Bell Labs. He built a flame-throwing trumpet. He rode a unicycle through the office. He was also the father of information theory, the mathematical foundation that drives every digital system you've ever touched. Shannon relentlessly followed problems that fascinated him. Information theory started as a puzzle he couldn't put down. He was a mind at play and the world-changing part was just a side effect. Play and rigor aren't opposites. They're the same thing when you're genuinely curious. WisdomIf you start from the position that there is no right or wrong, no good or bad, and creativity is just free play with no rules, it's easier to submerge yourself joyfully in the process of making things. We're not playing to win, we're playing to play. And ultimately, playing is fun.
Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being
ReflectionWhat would you build if no one was watching and there was no ROI to justify? Lagniappe
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Weekly Reflections Newsletter
Practical insights on platform engineering, developer experience, and building teams that ship. Each issue is written to be useful, actionable, and applicable. No filler, no promotions-only emails. Enter your email and sign up for free right now.
Each week, I share one insight. One piece of wisdom. One question to reflect on. (and a little Lagniappe) Insight Every Sunday, I fill up the gas tank on our little Suzuki Vitara. I learned this from Tom Limoncelli in Time Management For System Administrators. It doesn't matter if it's a quarter empty or a quarter full. I just top it off. The ritual categorically removes a potential source of stress from my week, all from a simple little habit. Wisdom A schedule defends from chaos and whim....
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Each week, I share one insight. One piece of wisdom. One question to reflect on. (and a little Lagniappe) Insight Tony Fadell tells a story in his book, Build, about his time at General Magic. The place was filled with brilliant people, but they had no shipping rhythm and no external pressures. Years passed and the work drifted, missing chances to prove it out with customers. He argues that the way to combat this is with "heartbeats and handcuffs". Heartbeats are an internal cadence....