150: Maintaining System Functionality and Clean Code

Deliberate practice for writing, principles for navigating StaffPlus roles and maintaining system integrity with Clean Code

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Unrelated: Boosting Writing Efficiency

First principles thinking is a powerful problem-solving approach that requires a solid understanding of the fundamentals. Sequential note-taking can undermine your grasp of the fundamentals. Instead, aim to connect information and make your notes concise. Disciplines like biology, chemistry, and economics are just different aspects of the universe. Adopting a deliberate practice routine will help streamline content generation based on your daily notes.

In my current context of Zettlekasten, new hub notes will emerge based on the number of associated notes linked to a specific tag or keyword. To create a new hub note, gather all the relevant notes related to a label with more than ten associated notes. The goal is to generate sub-notes that define particular topics or combine sub-topics into coherent cases. Literature notes will be stored in Readwise, as they will prove helpful when working on new hubs or isolated Zettels.

An outline consists of hub notes representing significant knowledge and publishable work. The distinction between outline notes and literature notes could be more precise. While they may look similar, literature notes are derived from processing ideas from books or papers, whereas hub notes serve as entry points for active projects. Outline notes can be considered a hybrid of the two. I refer to all of these as "structure notes."

To improve at writing, incorporate the deliberate practice into your routine. Writing is thinking; expressing your thoughts on paper or screen helps validate your content. Writing removes bias and allows you to examine your ideas objectively. Making writing a deliberate practice routine is essential for growth.

Writing sprints are an effective way to enhance daily output. During a writing sprint, focus solely on the material or content. Measure the sprint with a predetermined intense writing period, where editing is set aside in favor of output. Whether the topic is broad or narrow, the focus should be on conveying your thoughts within the allotted time. Keep writing continuously until the timer goes off, without stopping or returning to edit. Measuring sprints is crucial to track progress in speed and output.

A successful sprint should result in a 10%-15% increase in output per session. The length of the sprint can vary depending on the task. When writing notes, pausing and reflecting or correcting errors may be necessary. However, maintaining momentum and not fixating on minor mistakes will improve overall output. Words per hour (WPH) is a helpful measurement of writing speed. By multiplying the number of minutes spent on a micro sprint by 12, you can determine your WPH and track improvement.

Remember, the goal is to reach a first draft quickly. Full writing sprints focus more on quantity than quality. Set a specific time, such as 20 minutes, and write continuously without interruptions. It's okay if you get stuck; the purpose is to spend significant time working on the project, even if the initial results are less than perfect. This type of sprint allows for progress toward a specific word count goal.

Although the suggested optimal time for a writing sprint is 20 minutes, you can gradually build up to that duration over time. Writing sprints are about getting the first draft out as soon as possible, prioritizing the flow of ideas over correctness. You can further enhance your writing efficiency by measuring your speed and output per sprint. The focus is on the process and flow rather than the outcome. Embrace writing sprints as they propel you toward completing your project.

[^]: 5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter

Off Topic: Principles for Success in a Staff-Plus Role

Nurturing a positive and productive relationship with your manager is vital. Avoid surprising them with sudden changes that erode trust and respect. Building and preserving trust is paramount for success.

To be effective in a Staff-plus role, aligning with executive authority while maintaining integrity is crucial. Selectivity in business dealings is critical, avoiding overreliance on big contracts that dictate the organization's direction. Let go of architecture and shared service committees, allowing engineers to organize their interactions and communication tools. Better tools prevail as engineers rally around the best ideas and implementations. Decentralizing efforts allows best practices to emerge, while committees often become obstacles. In the open-source community, diverse practices coexist, yet high-quality code thrives. Contributions are voluntary, and individuals maintain control over their implementations, investing time in careful design. Others can contribute ideas and pull requests aligned with the author's intentions.

[^]: Staff Engineer: Leadership Beyond the management track

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