spreadsheets as maps, legible views of the organic chaos brewing underneath 
Every tidy entry in a "project planning spreadsheet" is a portal to its own complex mini-universe
Recommend periodically telling your boss a task will take " between 1 day and 8 months"
Will undoubtedly raise an interesting conversation and remind everyone of the messiness of reality
Will undoubtedly raise an interesting conversation and remind everyone of the messiness of reality
Best illustrated with a non-software analogy:
"How long will it take to move my conf room wall?"
"Oh easy, 1 week, just drywall"
"OK perfect! Let's move this other wall while we're at it"
"Completely impossible, it's structural"
"How long will it take to move my conf room wall?"
"Oh easy, 1 week, just drywall"
"OK perfect! Let's move this other wall while we're at it"
"Completely impossible, it's structural"
https://twitter.com/geoffreylitt/status/1261421100786782208
Anyone who has ever witnessed a conversation between an engineer and a product manager is very familiar with this dynamic 🙃
As an engineer, key is to help the PM build up a better model over time to make these predictions themselves
As an engineer, key is to help the PM build up a better model over time to make these predictions themselves
Every domain is messy and weird. But it seems to me that software in particular has a tendency to spring surprises.
"Great when you're done moving the wall, just paint it green for me"
"So uhhh...... here's the thing....
"Great when you're done moving the wall, just paint it green for me"
"So uhhh...... here's the thing....
https://twitter.com/geoffreylitt/status/1075418428809330688
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