20251014:
The presence of a great leader is felt when they enter the scene. Many people will want to acknowledge a great leader just as a great leader also acknowledges everyone else.
I find it a bit sad when one ego must outshine everyone they encounter. When they must ensure that the world acknowledges their presence.
I find it a little strange that people with the same goals have a hard time collaborating when big egos interfere.
"If you see this then..." videos seem to be a trend now.
M and crescent moon on palms is rare? =O That's fun, but I'm not that special. There's always a way to boost the spirit and get us back on track if we want to accept it.
20251013:
Despite what I'd learned from mentors, some leaders dislike questions. Perhaps because they don't like to have their expertise challenged.
20251010:
Recently a colleague asked why I didn't correct someone else's mistake during a heated meeting. Well, I didn't want to make that person look and feel bad. And, correcting the colleague might fuirther errupt this situation. Also, this individual likely wouldn't accept the correction. I can provide the corrections peacfully after the meeting. Know your audience.
Sometimes we need to remember that everyone has bad days and they may act irrational. When someone is having a day we can either help boost their spirit or avoid them.
I get asked from time to time how and why I remain calm when others are panicking. The answers are: 1. Because the same people are often panicking., 2. Because there's opportunity during these times., and 3. Because these incidences aren't really that big a deal. We're still alive and well. If we can remain calm and collected, we can easily overcome these situations.
Reporting successes on projects parts is much more acceptable than success on an epic as a whole. At least execs can accept that something is getting done rather than assuming that entire projects are in limbo.
20251009:
Rushing through a non-emergency project just to get it done isn't the greatest idea. Rushing can lead to mistakes or bugs. A good example is someone who rushed through a process mgiration. Upfront, everything seemed fine, but we realized after some post-deployment testing that there was a hidedn bug waiting to be revealed. Always try to leave adequate time for proper coordination and testing.
When someone says they've changed for the best, my experience has proven that this is usually just a fascade to get what they want. Give them a bit of time to prove it. At least 1 year.
When a dominant personality tries to turn negative energy around onto you, transform it into positive energy and use it to make great things happen. If that beast takes credit for the win then at least you've become stronger from the experience. Life is never simple, but the harder we strive for greatness, the better the reward in the end.
It can be very difficult to take direction from a personality who insists that they're some sort of God, but then puts the responsibility on others at the first sign of their own failure.
Someone who suddenly attacks their team for failed projects is not much of a leader. The same applies to someone who takes full credit for team wins.
It's always feels good to receive kind comments and accolades for helping resolve overlooked issues. Not many people complement each other these days. And not many people make an attempt to collaborate these days.
20251008:
Avoid sheep mindset if you can. They're attracted to self deprecating tendencies and negative drama. They overhelm their own senses and drive theirself crazy. They're not even satisfied with their own decisions, blaming others for their bad choices in life. They're unhappy simple because they choose to be and because striving for greatness can be challenging.
Hiding from the world won't resolve all our issues. If someone wants to find us they will. Be kind hearted and honorable. Accept good challenges, find purpose and meaning, and life will be good.
Hiding from the "everyone database"... Is this really possible? I've been studying this for about 3 decades. This seemed possible decades ago, but technology has drastically changed since then. Going outside alone is likely to exposes our physical features and location. A driver's license exposes facial attributes along with personal data. A birth certificate, citizenship, green card, voting registation, airport visit, etc. exposes personal data. Perhaps an immigrant can mask their data, but someone will likely find their original details during a data breach or various other means if they want it. Additionally, if hackers and other entities are sharing our data then can it ever be possible for us to hide for long? Is it better to allow our Gov to track our info to mitigate the side effects of its misuse?
I'm considering... Is a VP or SVP really needed for data? From my experience, most VP positions seem to concentrate on keeping execs happy by comforting them rather than actually resolving issue. I don't mind comforting execs to an extent, but I prefer to get to the point and correct the underlying issues. I also don't like building infinite interim solutions and accruing tech debt to temporarily mask design and process issues. My intention is to make great things happen for my employer/company, for my team, and ultimately for myself and my famil. Not to mask problems and act superior.
Poor communication is the cause of many failures. Especially if you have multiple groups or mediums sharing conflicting information. MS Teams adds another layer of chaos when people neeed to chatter. Then you have the show off who requires attention. Needs the spotlight and stirs chaos to get it. This person makes it difficult to concentrate on the problem at hand.
20251007:
Don't let the world tell you who to be. Allow yourself to become what God intended. When you think about, the desire to be a better person is never a bad thing and will always bring us meaning and happiness. And in the end, if there happens to be no God, then we still had a great life and didn't waste a minute while striving to be better.
The skill of de-escalation is a virtue. One who can de-escalate situations is stronger than most people can comprehend.
Crowd theory helps explain the drama we're seeing on the streets. Alone, we're more collected and rational. In a crowd we can get out of control and even violent despite our original intentions.
It seems that, despite what I've been told before, my ability to ignore drama and carry forward to exchange failure with success is in fact a positive attribute.
A simple way to deal with difficult people is to agree with them and then ignore them. But keep the consequences in mind. Difficult people are often the way they are because they lack the attention they want.
20251001:
Slow down and strategize to improve overall accuracy, speed, and efficiency. Emergencies and temporary hotfixes result in infinite tech debt.
If good leadership is the act of putting others ahead of ourself and accepting humility, imagine that our President (regardless who) simply behaves the way he does as a front for his most important assets - his team. Basically a jester or fascade to help protect the important, relevant work that's occuring behind the scenes taking negative focus off what's required to move the world forward. Perhaps all leaders around the world are actually working in unison. Afterall, even with all the nonsense reported in the media, we almost always see improvement in the long term.
20250930:
I usually find it easier to collaborate when someone isn't trying to dominate the event or discussion. People are willing to entertain ideas when someone isn't trying to prove they're smarter than or above everyone else.
One person's passion shouldn't have to disrupt others negatively. We have to accept that not everyone does things the same way. Our differences should compliment each other.
When I become frustrated with a colleague I typically work towards understanding them better, learning how to improve collaboration. Am I the only one who does this?
Affordability seems to be a topic that trends about every decade. I once complained about it, but I think I've figured it out. It just requires some hard work and realistic expectations.
A squeeky wheel draws a lot of attention, but it's still a wheel that happpens to be annoying to most. If it's failing, then it needs to be repaired or replaced.
20250927:
The most pleasant people to work with do not constantly reject others. They typically help guide everyone in the right direction in a calm and collected manner. They usually do not insist that their approach is the best and only approach unless there is literally no other solution. They're OK with not getting their way even though this can be self deprecating.
It can be difficult working with stubborn people who repeat the same mistakes. But sometimes we have no choice. Try to simply entertain them because the end solution is often something that already in place or a top that you've tried to emphasize with logic.
20250926:
Maslow's Hammer...
It's a bad idea to choose a solution simply because "everyone" likes it or because the features sound great. If the solution doesn't compliment the team, then it's probably not a good idea. If the solution cannot accomplish team and company goals effectively, then it will likely end in disappointment.
Sandeep Chopra says something in one of his videos that resonated. When I began the last two jobs, my objective was to build systems that are easy to work with. Templated to simplify development and repeatable for even novices. But this was wiped out with new leadership. Now we're returning to what originally worked after losing a lot of money and dealing with lots of frustration. Things to contemplate.
As the days pass with the latest familiar changes, I see the patterns repeating. Patterns that conflict with my preferences. I left this before only to have it return, not by choice. Is it meant to be or is the universe trying to tell me to prepare?
Leaders always show a pattern in their actions and behaviors. When identifying a mentor, look for personalities that align with yours. The alternative can lead to conflicting direction.
Finding alternative third party solutions is simple. There are many out there. But we must recognize the reasons for this. They all have their specialty. Sure, we can possibly manipulate some to make them work for our purpose, but this can lead to bigger issues later on. Oftentimes, the best solutions are right in front of us. Why replace a working solution only to return to that solution?
20250925:
Yet another failed POC, as expected. Apparently it seems that vendors will in fact resist pressure from clients. That wasn't predictable, was it? I'm not bitter, just a bit dissapointed. I'm not one to say that I'm right. The result seemed obvious.
That cocky genius, Mr. Know It All or that boss who tries to hide all the high visibility projects... There's your strategic advantage. Use them wisely. They react quickly and often fail. Take advantage of this.
20250924:
Just a few months ago serveral people asked me how they should deal with rising cost, inflation, stagflation, etc. My response was in the form of a few simple questions. How have you dealt with this before? What scares you about it this time around? What makes think this will occur? Several months have passed and they're still waiting for the collapse and complaining about how the economy is tumbling. They all still live a very comfortable lifestyle, especially those who continued investing in the S&P 500 or other decent ETFs. I can't say that things are perfect, but our country is still in good shape regardless of our politics. Media can really mess with our mind.
Dealing with constant "emergencies" has desensitized me. While others are running around in circles I'm sitting here calmly knowing that the issues will soon be resolved by the procedures that we've practiced many times over the last quarter. And yes, the issues were resolved pretty easily. Why is a drama show necessary by some? Some people require too much attention.
20250923:
Working with "geniuses" can feel unproductive, especially when they reject all our thoughts and ideas. But keep trying if you're confident and you may realize your successes hidden behind the scenes. Perhaps claimed by someone else, but a win nontheless.
20250919:
When someone asks whose to blame for some result, I often try to redirect the conversation to solutions. Failure can oftentimes be a matter of poor requirements or misaligned leadership and I usually find that it's more efficient to focus on resolution than the blame game. The blame game can waste a lot of time, become exhausting, and it makes us look bad.
Something I like to do to ensure team success is to go over examples and share the results for complicated tasks. This tends to help prep my team, yielding much faster turnaround times. It requires some homework on my part, but it seems to help.
Trends and instincts are derived from data that our brain has processed. Oftentimes, we shoudld acknowledge and act on our insticts though this can be difficult. When our instincts yield a consistent trending result, when we can consistently predict results, perhaps our intuition is yelling something at the top of its lungs trying to grab our own attention.
20250918:
When evaluating a new potential solution: Onboard the product and analyze the cost expectations. Start small if possible allowing for testing and evaluation along the way. Evaluate cost based on perceived most expensive options. If within reason, grow POC as needed. I wouldn't releasing a POC product to production until the POC process has concluded with success. POCs are intened to be shut down before the project gets out of hand. It drives me a little crazy when a POC is deemed an emergency, then gets immediately rolledd out to Prod, only to be fully reversed afterwards.
I occassionally receive negative news about issues I tried to mitigate. Today, this was the cost of a cloud/SaaS solution. Instead of saying "I told you so", I simply asked "Does the cost compliment its value?". No ego. Although I originally suggested other cheaper alternatives that are more achievable, I can accept that I was ignored. Now we need correct this and improve.
Although I can undersand when data discrepancies can be useful, many data discrepancies can be corrected by helping correct or standardize user inputs before it's written. We can also correct this in a data lake or EDW, but most discrepancies tend to be preventable.
AI company seems to simply mean that we utilize AI technologies. Not that we build upon it. Seems misleading.
Interesting...using a data flow diagram to explain query pseudo code. We could have saved a lot of time, resources, and money, while improving accuracy, by simply scripting out the query.
Although I can understand the technique of "testing" employees by overwhelming them before layoff, this approach leaves me feeling uneasy. It's like a sucker punch to the gut. There's usually a way to prove that even the best performers are underperforming.
It's simple for a "leader" to comstantly come up with new potential solutions until we realize how much time we've wasted overcomplicating things for the sake of recognition.
Oftentimes the best solutions are right under our nose. It's just a matter of acceptance. Catchy vendor names shouldn't quantify a reason for failure.
Although I understand the importance of flattering upper management with so called accomplishments, is it not just as important not to overwhelm our teams by constantly switching between emergencies?
As tempting as it might be to include coworkers to our friends group we must accept that most coworkers will never be true friends. At some point everyone gets thrown under the bus. Sometimes by those we've grown close to.
Work shouldn't feel like walking on egg shells. No one should feel forced or pressured to please the boss. Even bosses are imperfect.
20250916:
While it's important to have money to prepare for life's many suprises, it's also important to accept that money can be a tool. It doesn't create as much happiness as the hype might indicate. We can have all the money in the world and still be miserable. Or we can have no money, a positive attitude, and be grateful and happy.
I was once convinced that wealth inequality was a problem until I stopped buying stuff unnecessarily. I had to realize that my money was going to those who I complained about before realizingt that I could stop giving away money by giving up bad habits.
Is money actually powerful? Or knowledge? Wealthy people who are intelligent can keep and grow their wealth. Wealthy people who are greedy and unintelligent with their fortune will likely lose it.
Imagine a day when non-violent free speach and knowledge are condemned. When someone can be removed simply for having different beliefs and perspectives.
One day, AI may take over all our mundane tasks. But if AI is based on our data and mimics our behaviors, then I might be afraid that AI will conflict with us and each other just as we do. If AI interprets disappointment, how will this be reflected on us?
20250915:
It's simple to blame departed colleagues for the bugs and issues we encounter and it can be a waste of time concentrating on and discussing why they're responsible. Reduce the nonsense and increase productivity.
20250912:
Could we use AI to turn around the current state of the world? Is AI part of the end story?
I can't help but think that Bezmenov was being honest. At least as it applied to his perspective. What we've experienced can't be coincidence, can it?
20250911:
Still forcing a vendor to adopt our approach. If this didn't work before, then I wouldn't expect it suddenly work this time around.
Another day, another set of uncommunicated changes. Great people were recently let go only to be worse off... I fail to understand the logic.
20250910:
I miss building data tools. Perhaps a consulting opportunity.
Charlie Kirk was a man of such brilliance. Yes, he had strong opinions. We all should. But he always accepted everyone's differences. What a very sad loss.
The current state of the world worries me. So much makes no sense. Is this reality? The result of idiological subversion?
Although I had to move on from my previous emlpoyer, I loved the fact that I could be myself. Opinionated, strategic, stern yet empathetic, etc. I felt valued for helping ensure that everyone succeeded as a unit. Perhaps I can find something similar again if I really try.
I often feel like I'm being blocked from exposure, especialy after receiving praise. Thinking ahead. If I'm said to have very high EI and lead to many successes, could this be a sign that I should venture out again? I'd love to take on a bit more challenge.
If high EI is the secret to high performance and fulfillment, then why are gerks often promoted to the top?
Daniel Goleman says that the best leaders have high Emotional Intelligece. It's the core of effective leadership. How does one with high EI position theirself at the top when those with low EI often push into these positions? Even when the low EI leaders fail.
Performed another psychological test today. I Had one of my direct reports ask my boss if he could take time off. As expected, the request was not redirected to me.
20250909:
It helps to understand how to deal with big egos while working with an alpha boss. They need to feel like the King/Queen. Making them feel like less can have consequences and wastes a ton of time from meaningless debate. I like to run tests to extract information that I can use strategically while working with these personalities.
20250908:
The intelligence and integrity of a team is wasted when anyone is alienated. Leadership shouldn't be about control. It's about ensuring that your people can participate and thrive without negativity. Your team members should be afraid to be wrong. They should be repositioned in the right direction.
Be cautious when a project requires "all the data". Spit huge projects and deliver based on actual priority. Everything can't be the highest priority.
20250907:
I came across a YouTube video today that shared many arguments against Western culture. I do respect the fact that the narrator stated that we should consider various perspectives, but he should probably alo provide some example views. He only focussed on the negatives of Christianity and Western governance. I highly doubt that most people watching the video will realize what he misses. At the same time, I'm sure that most of us only receive what we want out of most facts and discussions that conflict with our preferred perspectives.
20250905:
Perhaps speaking on behalf of another is a type of nurturing, but is it appropriate? Or should we allow others an opportunity to experience their own interactions/communications?
I find myself a little bothered when a person unnecessarily responds on behalf of someone else. Not to help explain something but preventing someone from having a chance to respond theirself.
20250904:
My biggest strength is probably the fact that I work to replace myself with my team. This provides me with options to either move up or move on.
My biggest weakness is probably that I'm not much of a showoff. I'm geared to get things done without too much fluff. But I can see how this negatively impact me. Many others show off and continue to attract attention even after their projects fail.
Simulation theory is possible considering that we're creating AI that mimics human behavior. Perhaps we're a version of some AI.
If there's anything that I've learned while working with data over the last couple decades it's that there are usually additional important details within the details. We just need to determine how far down the rabbit hole we need to go and use that information wisely.
It's a bit sad that leadership will give into potential security risks simply due to panic. There is a reason for limited network and systems access. This is what we should all accept.
20250903:
Why I love Adam Sandler... Maybe not the greatest actor, nor the worst. He does his best, he's hilarious, and interesting. And his has the best interests in mind. I've loved his comedies since college. And he seems like an genuinely wonderful person.
One of my primary roles is to help others grow along with the company. Leaders should always have the best interest of their teams. Leaders who don't begin with this mindset are doomed for failure at some point. From my perspective, I am the least important person turning others into the most important people. Sure, I'm still to the company, but my attitude will benefit the company overall.
All ideas have have purpose. Never let anyone tell you that your ideas are meaningless. A true leader will help guide your ideas in the right direction. They won't demean you.
I keep hearing about "first principles", but we rarely take a step back to identify the fundamentals. I'm a fan of the approach, but it requires a little time upfront. Though, from experience, it saves a lot of time overall.
Gotta love the expert who knows how to solve the world's biggest problems but won't explain how. Keep calm and carry on.
20250902:
I've always viewed the act of seeking acknowledgement as a weakness for leaders, yet I keep seeing this behavior from my seniors. Perhaps I'm wrong.
It's so easy to lash out when we're unhappy about something. But it's not too difficult to remain calm and respectful if you try. A true sign of leadership is the abilty hold back your emotions when being tested.
20250901:
We will work alongside "shady" individuals from time to time. Don't let them give you reason to disrespect them. The urge to destroy them may be strong, but you'll win more by remaining respectful. Blasting on them often ends with repercussions.
Having an advanced skillset or advancted experience should be used to help others grow alongside us, not to grow our ego.
Always be wary of someone who tells you "Don't worry. I'll take care of you" without explanation. Especially when they're known for destroying others.
20250829:
Maybe it's just me, but I find it odd when a leader will claim credit when someone shouts out a subordinate's successes.
individuals who have worked with every company imaginable are interesting characters. But be cautious when challenging them, even if jokingly. You don't want to disturb a feeding bear. Let them have their fun unless it adversely affects a project.
Always be prepared for unnotified updates from cloud providers. Good vendors will prepare you for updates, but many vendors will push updates without much notification.
20250828:
There is always at least one know-it-all in a company. Although we should listen to and respect this person, like with everyone, we must consider their insight with discretion, especially if they're never wrong in their mind, even when their projects fail. My advice is to be open to everyone and seek for queues that expose the logical reality. The calm ones are often the best resources.
When I have a moment to breath, I sometimes sit back and think about my past career experiences. Chaotic experiences typically occurred with leadership who cannot accept proper project planning, because every idea is most important. Everything is an ad-hoc emergency. I enjoy being very busy, but I miss environments in which all teams collaborate and plan togehter, and executes as a unit.
20250827:
Humanistic AI - One that can behave like a person. Can speak in slang, can be a commedian, can be offensive/defensive, can provide criticism (positive/negative), can behave like a parent/sibling/friend, can reminisce, can be a personal coach while having however needed. There are already plenty of "partner" AIs.
"No need for a medallion architecture for our next data model. Everyone wants only raw data." - Dejavu. I have a feeling that teams will want the ability to aggregate different different augmentations of the data. I'd like to follow back to evaluate whether the medallion model was the better architecture.
Oftentimes it feels like leadership is simply based on promising impossible ETAs, then following up by postponing a failed deadline. We can do better. Perhapsy by implementing a planned iterations or maybe by splitting up priorities which could result in many successful objectives.
I don't mind accepting fault for other people's decisions. I just don't like unnecesasry drama. Some people seem to enjoy driving the dagger deeper and deeper. I usually find that dwelling on the drama is a waste of time and resources. I prefer to cut to the chase and carry on. My ego is really not that imporatnt. Afterall, I barely graduated kindergarten.
Sure, quick fixes can overcome immediate obstacles, but at what cost? Far too often I find that the cost of tech debt collects over time and becomes even more expensive to clean up. It's even worse when I forsee the issue, but am forced to accept an undesirable and usually unnecessary option, then have to accept responsibility for it later.
It can be difficult working with the ultimate "Experts". Realistically, no one is perfect. Sometimes they enforce decisions that work near-term but might fail long-term and the impact to their ego can make them difficult to work with. Remain calm and respectful, and provide logic that yields valid conclusions. Temporary solutions can be great if planned well, but ad-hoc is always iffy.
20250826:
I still like to expose my team to challenging meetings, confrontations, etc. because I want to help prepare them for what's to come. And this has mostly proven to be successful, only failing for those with an ego. Of course, they can opt out if they prefer. Eventually, I want them to take over my work and acheive their goals while I also work towards my next set of goals.
Some people can be difficult, purposefully holding back important details. Either give up early to mitigate conflict or keep trying to pull details until the topic make sense. Sometimes I find that others must be right until finally proven otherwise.
It can be difficult to work with people who must always be right.
It seems to me that humanity is failing to support itself. We'd rather conflict than bring up our peers as equals.
I'm afraid that AI is or will be another tool used for psychological manipulation.
AI is apparently being used for emotional support nowadays. Scary.
20250825:
You can't expect desired results from third-party products if the vendor built it for a different purpose.
Trying to force a vendor to change their processes and standards can't be expected to end with desired results.
20250822:
My take on Cracker Barrel - It was a unique place during modern times. One of few places that could visited for nostalgic and homey value. The sign added to the value, but the profit trend is headed downward. Modernizing the restaurant is an attempt to boost profits.
20250821:
Gotta love the naming and terminology behind quantum computing. "Dilithium", "Kyber", "SPHINCS", "Isogeny", "Decoherence", "Gravimeter".
I had received a little criticism a while back for mentioning the state of PQC (Post-Quantum Cryptography), but it seems like the time to begin considering this tech. NIST released their standards about a year ago.
Photonic quantum microchips continue to peak my interest. They could yield a ton of potential for efficient and secure data processing and transmission.
I've been seeing big tech prepping for post-quantum. Exciting times.
20250820:
I can't stress the importance of providing basic details in communications enough. Especially for those of us who balance many projects. "This thing" can be an expensive phrase when it takes a group extra time to figure out what the thing refers to.
Forwarded emails without context are a bit confusing. The same for linked comminucations with out context.
20250819:
Climate change, global warming, etc. Whether real or just conceptual shouldn't cause drama and chaos between people. Instead, let's create positive conversations around working together to improve the conditions on Earth? It doesn't hurt to clean up after ourselves and to continue to clean up our environments. We can change mountains together.
20250818:
Ultra-busy day. Was difficult to find time for a short lunch break.
Smart decisions... Labubus vs. investments.
Kids and young adults causing havok and seems to be getting worse. Maybe crime should be punished.
20250817:
Failing to plan = planning to fail. Project plans tend to occur very commonly, but the affected audience needs to be informed before the change becomes an emergency.
Constant emergencies are concerning.
Pointing fingers is often the worst approach to stalling. This approach can leave a negative impression when the victim is proven innocent. Have a positive mindset and don't be afraid to collaborate and to ask for help. Evaluating a conflict yields better results than blaming others.
20250815:
"The end of the world as we know it" A nice, catchy repeatable phrase.
Last minute changes over holidays weekends...haven't we learned from our mistakes over at least the last decade?
Good, stable products and solutions can be expensive, but for good reasons. Trying to skimp out on good solutions can lead to headache, especially when the desired features are in the middle of development. Never really understood why one would rely on a feature that hasn't been released. I'd expect bugs for a while after the feature is released.
20250814:
It can be diffult to acept that your project has failed, but it's important to cut your losses early and recover quickly.
Imagine that we're living in a simulation, but the simulation isn't metaphysical, it's psychological. And the simulation is maintained by a group of very powerful people with followers whom perceive that they're fighting the good fight.
20250813:
Excellence = Integrity, Enthusiasm, Intelligence...
The idea of worldwide peace and equality is a pleasant one, but is it realistic?
The psychological effects of emphasizing a single term are interesting. For exmaple, the terms "database" and "table" have applied to various non-database-related solutions. I've seen "database" applied to data sets in CSV and Excel. And "table" applied to text files, views, etc. It helps to elaborate about how we personaly define these terms.
Based on recent experience, I see how the differences between OLTP and OLAP/ODS for application use can be confusing. Especially when the lines of use aren't clearly defined. Unistore can possibly solve this dilemna.\
OLTP in Snowflake is also an interesting evolution. The Unistore concept is cool, but needs time to evolve and mature. OLAP and OLTP had been separted up until now for a reaason. Perhaps new innovations can help merge these concepts.
It's interesting how cloud hype can quantify the increasing costs of basic processes that were was once free and yielded the same or better performance.
20250812:
A person who is offended by non-issues could have low self esteem or may feel insecure. It can help to respectfully ignore their behavior. Don't react and the situation will often resolve itself. If this doesn't work, then walk away.
Someone asked again "How do you accomplish so much when everyone else keeps failing". I have a few simple approaches.
1. Piggy back off ambitious souls. - Many people like to overpromise. I simply evaluate their approach and improve upon failed pieces. I'll let ambitious souls do the leg work until they hit a roadblock or until they ge frustred, then I'll follow back and deliver, preferably along with the ambitious souls.
2. I usually don't get ahead of myself. - I make time to think through tasks logically, then execute while following my logical path.
3. I re-confirm requirements and fill in the gaps. - It's difficult to complete tasks that don't make sense.
4. I ignore the drama. - Many people waste time on drama. I might take a short moment to vent, but then it's back to work. I've never worked in a stress-free environment, so it doesn't make much sense for me to waste time on nonsense.
5. I delegate. - I tend to switch between 4 to 5 tasks at a time, but after that I have a hard time keeping track of the details. I collaborate with my team and other teams to complete what I can't.
6. I mentor and cross-train my team. - I build products, processes, and standards that my team can easily follow to ensure they can help cover me when I'm overburdened or unavailable. And I do the same for them.
20250811:
AI being used for illicit purposes. Didn't see that coming, did we?
Oh the consequences of a world in which destroying one another becomes the best approach to happiness and success.
It's a shame that ego and politics can interfere with progress. Sometimes the greatest ideas comes from the resources that are right in front of us.
It might just me, but I prefer to help point out and resolve conflicts rather than complain and expecting someone else to figure it out. What if my perception doesn't match reality? Or What if the engineer doesn't understand the issue?
The world will throw many distractions at you. Remain focused and keep your eye on the prize.
20250809:
The separation of AI reality and human reality seems to be a growing concern. If reality can already be considered a mixed experience, then does this even matter? Perhaps reality is simply whatever we make of it or what we want it to be.
If "everyone" is competing to build the ultimate superintelligent AI, then what are the potential risks and impact to not only humanity, but also to also Earth, physics, psychology, and beyond?
20250808:
"I can do better" A thought that crosses my mind pretty often.
It can be difficult to remain confident when requirements and strategies constantly "evolve". Sometime experts aren't experienced with the details of the project, but simply with the fact that they've worked on similar projects and requirements. It's still important to try and continue to support these initiatives. Sometimes experts must accept compromise. Especially when working with new, evolving technlogies.
Tools/solutions to simplify open source projects can be interesting. Especially when client expecations and experiences can vary and they tend to be quite expensive to purchase and support. I prefer to manage open source projects without adding an additional vendor-provided solution.
Some leaders treat individuals differently. This is not usually something to take offense to. Either they have a logical approach to achieving desired results or they're struggling.
Sometimes people insist that they understand a complicated topic when it seems that they don't. We need to keep in mind that we all can interpret terms and requirements differently. It helps to elaborate on the topic and follow up to ensure it was interpreted as expected and meets or exceeds the requirements.
People often seem to forget or neglect that details are important. Ask questions that lead to the expected response to get the details you need. Various triggers may be required to lead to the expected result.
A lot of people need to flex their credentials and "experience" to gain attention. This has led me to many dissapointments. And in such a sensitive world nowadays, it can be difficult to point out people's weaknesses without backlash. Very strange because these individuals like to voice their opinion. I work in such a strange environment.
It can be difficult to remain confident when requirements and strategies constantly "evolve". Sometime experts aren't experienced with the details of the project, but simply with the fact that they've worked on similar projects and requirements. It's still important to try and continue to support these initiatives. Sometimes experts must accept compromise. Especially when working with new, evolving technlogies.
Tools/solutions to simplify open source projects can be interesting. Especially when client expecations and experiences can vary and they tend to be quite expensive to purchase and support. I prefer to manage open source projects without adding an additional vendor-provided solution.
Some leaders treat individuals differently. This is not usually something to take offense to. Either they have a logical approach to achieving desired results or they're struggling.
Sometimes people insist that they understand a complicated topic when it seems that they don't. We need to keep in mind that we all can interpret terms and requirements differently. It helps to elaborate on the topic and follow up to ensure it was interpreted as expected and meets or exceeds the requirements.
People often seem to forget or neglect that details are important. Ask questions that lead to the expected response to get the details you need. Various triggers may be required to lead to the expected result.
A lot of people need to flex their credentials and "experience" to gain attention. This has led me to many dissapointments. And in such a sensitive world nowadays, it can be difficult to point out people's weaknesses without backlash. Very strange because these individuals like to voice their opinion. I work in such a strange environment.
20250807:
I had forwarned the cost impact of some new technologies we began implementing. Now we're starting to see the impact. I continue to advocate hybrid architectures when it makes the most sense.
Although many agreements are arguably best settled as a collective, there's a possibility that bias can cause great conflict. Potentially conflict with unexpected consequences.
Imagine an AI that would allow anyone to revitalize their favorite past and present games by modernizing them, or transforming them into our own customized variation.
Imaging an AI companion and mentor that helps privately keep track of our success and failures with the sole intention of helping lead us all to great successes.
I've delt with too many leaders who repeat the same mistakes that lead to failures. Their excuse tends to be unlimited priorities, but what job or carreer doesn't have unlimited priorities? I find that taking a step back to retrospect and plan saves a lot of time and headache.
Something else that annoys me is the insistent need to develop in production due to time constraints. Though often recoverable, this approach rarely ends headache free.
I also get a little annoyed by repeatable processes that supposedly can't be automated. Along with processes that are too complicated for others to comprehend. And with egos that prohibit collaboration. It's been quite the week...
I keep hearing that Python isn't a real programming language, though it has an OOP paradigm. Python is still my favorite language overall. It's incredible how far Python has come and what it's capable of.
20250806:
Project emergencies declared due to lack of knowledge or experience shouldn't be emergencies.
I have a weakness, which omits me from the spotlight. I don't pretend to know everything. However I am approached often because I consistently prove that I can accomplish objectives that most everyone else struggles with.
Dev is intended to for development purposes. It's always a little strange to have recurring emergencies raised for products in development when a scheduled change occurs and unexpectedly causes a conflict.
I don't like to talk just to talk. I prefer to talk to add value. But I see that this helps people gain attention. The squeeky while gets the grease.
Being under stress is not an excuse for throwing others under the bus.
I still believe in repatriation, where it makes sense, over forcing migration to the cloud because it's trending. I am especially support this for important data and private data. I also believe in leveraging multi cloud solutions as they make sense. Why focus on only one solution if another can prove to be better?
If our brain is a mega processing unit and our thoughts and emotions are derived from instructions and details we've learned, then could we be considered a form of AI?
Is AI truly incapable of being sentient? If AI is built by us, using our data, then it seems likely that its nature also mimics ours? If we can be evil, can't AI also derive the same conclusions as someone who is evil due to logical instructions? Is this not similar to how our brain works?
A very common interaction I experience at work (smiling sigh):
Me: "Here's are the details you'll need to interact with X technology to complete your task/project..."
Person A: "I already knew that."
A couple days later...
Person A: "Hey, can you provide some guidance?"
20250805:
Sometimes people can be offended when we point out their shortcomings, even when doing so politely. When someone is having a sensitive moment, avoidance may be the best solution.
Recently, a simple chat between a couple of individuals nearly blew up into an HR situation. Keep in mind that chats hide emotion. Don't let them become confrontational without understanding why. Sometimes we accidentally copy and past caps, bold, short-hand, and phrasing, especially while in a hurry.
20250804:
There's high value in promising delivery and delivering as promised. Don't make promises you know you can't keep. Be cautious about promises that rely on requirements you can't control.
Eventually this journey must end. If I pass today then at least I know I've helped people realize that we can be successful while being kind and respectful to one another, while not being a pushover. I know that I've had a positive impact on many lives. At the same time, I realize that my definiion of success differs from others'.
As we dig further and further into various topics, we see that there's much more detail below the surface of even the most simple things. As such, I'm not sure that this world is what we generally interpret it to be. I'm not so sure that we can accept, nor comprehend what life truly is.
20250803:
If the reality audience mimics th heviors of their favorite stars, I wonder if and how this reflects their quality of life in the real world.
Social media is nuts. "Learn to code" vs. "Code ruined my life", "The monetary system is broken" vs. "How I can ma you\ a millionaire with no effort". Fake "millionaires" making videos on how to become a millionaire.
20250801:
New technologies are great until they affect production. I prefer to prove the effectiveness of new techs before trying to force them into production. Especially when we already have alternative solutions that already work.
I'm not sure that I understand the need to pay for a full subscription during the POC phase of a project. We can upgrade subscriptions once we've received buy-in.
Proper product and software dev lifecycles would help resolve many issues between environments...
20250731:
So many thoughts and idea in my head, but constant interruptions day and night. Been having a hard time finding time to return to blogging. Thought I'd try something different.
Somtimes we make promises based on marketing, epsecially when upcoming features promise miracles. Although new tech can be exciting and can even provide great benefits, I like to have a backup plan in case things go awry. This has prevented various disasters.
Properly test new tools and allow for adequate time to do so. Gradually replace legacy whie new products are properly vetted.
I do find my day job to be overly complicated. Unplanned changes, constant "highest shifting priorities", priorities often trumping other priorities, constant vendor issues, lack of cooperation due to other's comfort level creates a lot of roadblocks and wastes time. A cultural shift can provide many benefits.
Some individuals use short-hand communication, which can be difficult to follow. I often have to read entire threads to gain context. Although, I try my best to provide context and details in my communication, many others seem too lazy for this approach.
I find short-hand text frustrating. "Yes to above." isn't useful when many requests or topic exist above. "The data" in a conversation related to multiple topics often needs context and elaboration.
New things can be nice and attractive for the moment but, oftentimes, the best people and things are already right in front of us.
Media is very negative. Tons of drama and conflict. And it's bringing a lot of people down with it. One thought comes to mind: "ideological subversion".