Rands in Repose

Less than 1% of your writing will be life-changing. 3% will be trivial to write. 4% will strongly resonate with others in a way you didn’t expect. 5% will be quite good. 15% probably should’ve never been published. 26% will elicit a reaction you did not expect. Positive or negative. 28% will become vastly better because you chose to edit. 30% will start as one piece but finish as another. 40% will be good solid writing. 45% will do much...

3 days ago

Rands in Repose

Good, me too. Over on the Rands Leaders Slack, we are almost thirty-four thousand. Fun fact: in the 2020 Presidential Election, three battleground states, Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin, the margin of victory was less than 30,000. In Georgia, President Biden won by just over 12,000 votes. It makes you think. It’s an, uh, interesting time in United States politics. If you happen to live in the United States, I enthusiastically encourage you to firm up your voting plan. Check your...

8 days ago

Rands in Repose

In the early days of this weblog, I was on MediaTemple using MoveableType for a good long time. Three things happened during these many years: MoveableType was mostly abandoned during this time. I’m sure well-intentioned folks were working on it (and it appears they still are), but the vibrancy of development had faded from my perspective at the time. MediaTemple (now GoDaddy) was similarly abandoned. They were happy to take my money, but the level of service had a marked...

15 days ago

Rands in Repose

I was doing this talk, which I’d done dozens of times before. Good, well-practiced deck. I was speaking to CTO-types (current and aspirational) as a favor to a friend. This was a monthly morning coffee chat for this crew, and they invited folks like me to speak. It was on a weekday morning near Slack in downtown San Francisco. No problem. Practiced talk, small group, low stakes. I was editing the title slide to update the location and name of...

19 days ago

Rands in Repose

I’ve worked at three successful start-ups and one failure. I’ve also worked at post-IPO successes such as Borland, Netscape, and Apple, which means I’ve seen a lot of different founders who, if you measure success financially, were quite successful. My backstory aside and with deep respect, most founders fail. You’ve heard of the stories of sucessful founder because they’ve become famous (or infamous). However, the majority of start-ups fail. No one tells and retells the stories of these companies because...

about 1 month ago

Rands in Repose

In our 84th episode, we go deep on the idea of why it’s bad to be busy.   Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0084.mp3

about 2 months ago

Rands in Repose

Awkward. Seven of us now. Sitting around the table. Five minutes since the start of the meeting. We’ve used up our chit-chat allowance and wonder if you will show. In the scheme of things relevant to a company’s success, showing up late to a meeting is not the end of the world. When it happens a lot, when it’s always the same person and that human is a leader, I have a severe tick when it comes to this human....

2 months ago

Rands in Repose

You’re not going with that title, are you? I might. There are no actual trophies or awards. Correct. There are three Rands Useful App Awards this year, but before I award them, I will define the criteria I used to select these products. The application has substance. This is not a one-shot utility that does one thing well; the designers and developers have built an application, a service with deliberate weight. There is a richness in functionality and depth. This...

4 months ago

Rands in Repose

Say their name if you think they aren’t listening. In a meeting with five or more humans, it’s ok if someone checks out of part of the conversation. Not every topic is of equal interest to all humans. When you know the conversation is steering back to a human who isn’t listening, say their name. Repeat the hard part when you don’t understand. Or, repeat the last thing they said and add a question mark. Ask questions if you don’t...

4 months ago

Rands in Repose

There are two classes of songs I listen to when writing. Words and no words. Word songs are used when I the writing does not require flow — deep thought. The problem with words is they get in your head, bump around, and start creating more words. At a time when I am attempting to focus on a specific set of words, word songs are not the solution. Nonword songs have no words and are deployed to encourage the correct...

5 months ago

Rands in Repose

In our 83rd episode, we revisit the various use cases we’ve discovered with our favorite AI tools.  Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0083.mp3

6 months ago

Rands in Repose

Second year of UCSC. Decades ago. A predilection for Domino’s Pizza and a fundamental misunderstanding of how credit cards worked left me in a financial hole. I needed a job, any job, and the School of Social Sciences offered a job aligned with my computer science degree, lab technician. A solid interview with a prompt job offer. This is going to be easy. No, this is going to be boring. The lab technician role was among the lowest rungs on...

6 months ago

Rands in Repose

Prologue. Westworld was an HBO reboot of the 1973 Michael Crichton movie. The pitch: we’ve built vast amusement parks populated with ultra-realistic robots (called “hosts”) who act their parts within the park. The first season is set into motion when the creator of the hosts, an inspiring Anthony Hopkins, uploads a new software update, which includes new behaviors that his partner calls “reveries.” Once uploaded, the hosts begin to exhibit subtle and unpredictable behavioral flourishes to make them appear more...

7 months ago

Rands in Repose

Back in December of 2015, I was in a meeting with HR, and we were arguing about retention, stock grants, or something similar. I was making no progress in explaining my nuanced point. Long pauses and blank states usually mean my spoken words have nothing to do with the valuable idea in my head. Ok, regroup. Try a different approach. “My point is this. If we don’t do this, engineers will lower their shields. They’re going to start answering those...

7 months ago

Rands in Repose

In our 82nd episode, we talk watches I mean horology I mean chronophiles or maybe timepieces.  Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0082.mp3

7 months ago

Rands in Repose

In our 81st episode, we BING talk about the BONG important BONG BONG topic of BING BING BING notifications and DING DING DING notifications sounds. Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0081.mp3

7 months ago

Rands in Repose

In our 80th episode, we talk about travels last summer. There was a pillow menu. Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0080.mp3

8 months ago

Rands in Repose

In our 79th episode, we talk about situations with software that might destroy your weekend.  Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0079.mp3

8 months ago

Rands in Repose

I asked DALL-E to draw a flowchart on how to make a decision. This is spot on.

8 months ago

Rands in Repose

I have a superpower, and like most superpowers, it’s not actually a superpower, but only a habit that I do 10% better than most humans. I chisel. Let’s say there’s this big project I want to complete. It’s not a big project; it’s immense. I’ve never done it before, and I’ve no actual idea how to achieve it. This happens more than I am willing to admit. But I really want to do it. This hypothetical project is not only...

9 months ago

Rands in Repose

Remember. Monday. It’s not Wednesday when everything is already blowing up. Monday is a blank slate before 9am; this is my chance to set the tone. While it is still quiet, get a fresh cup of coffee (I prefer black and strong). Not a coffee drinker? Great, try Chai or just a glass of water. You need a brief pause, a sip, between these steps. Now, read something unrelated to work to get the mental juices flowing. Skim the news....

10 months ago

Rands in Repose

The New Year is an excellent time to tidy. I’ve been sitting on the same browser information structure for years, meaning cruft has been acquired. My initial plan was to describe the current structure and then describe the proposed changes. As I evaluated my current set-up, a slew of apparent inefficiencies showed up, so this is now the 2024 revamp. On my desktop, I use Safari Favorites and Tab bar, which are always visible. Let’s start with Favorites: There are...

10 months ago

Rands in Repose

Do you remember your first job? Correction: not your first job, but the first job you wanted. This is my career. This is what I want to do. I don’t want to screw this up. I was a grocery store clerk, a butcher, a video store clerk, the guy who backed up the system onto tape drives on Saturday morning, and a bookseller before I landed my first job. A friend put a good word in for Symantec, and for...

10 months ago

Rands in Repose

You need to understand my to-do list process before you read these steps. I strive for a daily inbox-zero task system, which means I can scrub the complete list in less than 10 minutes. The size of individual entries varies. Most can be completed in one work session, but others are project-like tasks where the to-do is the next logical step. The never-ending question you must ask regarding whatever productivity system you’ve built is, “Does this system make you more...

10 months ago

Rands in Repose

In our 78th episode, we’re go deep on sandwiches. Great, now I’m hungry. Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0078.mp3

10 months ago

Rands in Repose

Destiny. You’ve got some time on your hands right now. It’s the holiday season. You’ve got free time. Take a call. There’s quite a bit of content. Destiny has been around for almost ten years. A lot is going on in that world, but more importantly, they’ve had a lot of time to make the game good. The game is best played with others. You can solo yolo Destiny, but I believe it’s best experienced with others. You might want...

10 months ago

Rands in Repose

I am delighted to announce The Software Developer’s Career Handbook has been published. I call it the Bird Book because, well, there’s a bird on the cover. The Bird Book is the second edition of Being Geek. The absence of the words “being” and “geek” in the title hints that something is up. Reading the entire book is a requirement for revising an edition. During this process, I discovered there was a lot to like. In particular, the first chapter...

about 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In our 77th episode, we discuss why magic is everywhere. Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0077.mp3

about 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

Why Are We Here? Seems like a good set of people, but everyone is looking at each other, wondering what is happening. It’s nefarious; it’s just.. confusing and agenda-less. Why Am I Here? It seems like a good set of people, but I have no clue how I’m relevant to this meeting. I will sit here a bit and nod, but mostly, I’m wondering why someone thought my presence was a good idea. We’ve Always Done It This Way Every...

about 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

When your favorite software tool receives a major update, it’s all dread. It’s not you expect them to ruin the application (although possible); it is because it’s your favorite tool, you know all the intricacies of how it works, and you know exactly how you need it to work. This is not a casual tool. This is crucial. This is a piece of software you use 300 times a day, which means one subtle, seemingly meaningless change could ruin your...

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

You’ve had a small number of career-defining moments. These are the select few moments in time when the trajectory of your career changed instantly and drastically. I have two buckets of these: ones I expected and ones that completely blindsided me. While the surprise and subsequent scrambling involved in being blindsided are chock full of delicious adrenaline, I highly recommend the moments you can predict. One such predictable moment is the first glimpse of the offer letter for your new...

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In the hallway, late on Thursday, someone tells a bit of information about your product that is 100% provably not true. You laugh, wink at the person, and say, “That’s goofy. What reasonable human would believe that?” And that conversation moves on. Two hours later, different locations, different humans, and different contexts. Same exact piece of provably false information is shared with you. Your brain mentally perks up because here’s this laughable bit of data you’ve heard twice in the...

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

One of my least favorite moments as a leader, specifically your leader, is when you ask me to make the decision. First, yes, I know it’s my job to make these decisions, especially the complicated and high-risk ones. Second, it’s true I’ve acquired ample experience over the last thirty years, and the chance I can make informed decisions on this particular topic is high. In the case it’s a novel decision, related experience probably gives me an excellent chance to...

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In our 76th episode, we freestyle a list of the seven types of managers on the planet. There are more, but here are seven.  Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0076.mp3

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In our 75th episode, we’re talking shoes. Only 25 episodes left… and we’re talking shoes. Ok. Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0075.mp3

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In our 74th episode, I swear we are only talking about one Important Thing, but I may be AI hallucinating. Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0074.mp3

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

Gruber alerted me to the new beta of Photoshop with a compelling name: generative fill. The pitch: ask the robots to fill in parts of your existing photograph with, well, whatever you want. Yes, I am not showing these initial trials deliberately. The first case I tried was inserting an object into a photograph. A snowman in a wintery scene. Did fine. I then asked it to change the color of a car in the foreground. Didn’t do well at’ll....

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

Everyone has AI fever in our 73rd episode where — and you better get used to it — we are talking about those robots again. Enjoy it now, or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0073.mp3

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

72 episodes. Speed round. Things we’ve been watching that you must not miss. No spoilers. You’re welcome. Enjoy it now or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0072.mp3

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

Drinking a glass of Ridge Cabernet on the deck. Night time. Starry night. Mrs. Rands was traveling, so the house was quiet. I was staring at the stars doing what I do best: letting my mind wander. Both good and bad ideas enthusiastically arrive at these moments. This evening, a science fiction story popped into my head. Here’s the pitch: A guy lives in a remote wilderness area. He’s happy. He’s also staring at the sky and notices a light...

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In our 71st episode, we talk about robots again, and then we follow with a Mastodon chaser. Enjoy it now or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0071.mp3

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In our 70th episode, the topic is mediation, not meditation, but mediation. Yeah, I had to look it up, too. Enjoy it now or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0070.mp3

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In our 69th episode, the topic is zombies in the context of The Last of Us and the entire zombie genre. BraaAAaaaaaaaaiAAains. Only 30 episodes left, people. Enjoy it now or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0069.mp3

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In our 68th episode, Lopp and Lyle discuss Lyle’s performance in a horror movie as well as the role of the producer in different industries. Enjoy it now or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0068.mp3

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In our 67th episode, the topic is Performance Reviews and how you build yourself by building others. Oh yeah, we talked about ChatGPT, too.  Enjoy it now or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0067.mp3

over 1 year ago

Rands in Repose

In our 66th episode, the topic is Mastodon and how quickly and efficiently it has replaced our Twitter use cases. Enjoy it now or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or iTunes. https://traffic.libsyn.com/rands/theimportantthing0066.mp3

over 1 year ago