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Huge Sivers fan! With that said, I'd take this advice way further. > The boss’s opinion is no better than anyone else’s. All opinions are no better. Does not
by unabst 10y ago
Huge Sivers fan! With that said, I'd take this advice way further.
> The boss’s opinion is no better than anyone else’s.
All opinions are no better. Does not matter who. Throw out opinions altogether. In America we are obsessed with "our right to our opinion" and somehow have confabulated this to equal our individuality, our exceptionalism, and our success. We're unique to begin with, exceptional is only a hard earned reputation, and success is just a feeling. Case in point, unique is effortless because it takes effort to be identical to other people; no one has ever been exceptional without doing exceptional work; define success conveniently, and we're all successful.
> your opinion is dangerous
All opinions are dangerous. A doctor doesn't operate based on opinion. Engineers don't build rockets based on opinion. Programmers don't program based on opinion. Reality is fact based, not opinion based.
Don't add your 2 cents. Add something that's actually worth something. Faster, lighter, stronger, cheaper, smoother, more efficient, more succinct, more obvious, more fun... Better is measurable. If you need progress, you need facts. And if you start comparing "opinions" and find one is better, you're already seeking facts. Opinions about opinions is demonstratively far worse.
Of course, this is all professionally speaking. When consequences don't matter, we're free to indulge in our opinions because we all have them. They're automatic. But just because you thought something, it doesn't mean squat. If anything, opinions are funny. Off the clock, do and say whatever you want. But whenever you need to be real, share what you know, not what you think. The more you know the better. Never confuse this with the more you talk or the louder you voice your opinion. Bosses that authoritatively enforce their opinion are the worst.
And most importantly, know when you know. Because only then can you or anyone go gather facts before making that important decision. Talking and thinking is not gathering facts! Googling is.
If you're still wondering why Donald Trump is doing so well, it's because so many of us still live in an opinion based reality. He is the feel good candidate for his supporters. Hasan Minhaj just did an awesome piece on the Daily Show [0]. His supporters don't care what he says, and their opinions are hilarious. Not to mention they are all wonderful people. If not for politics, we'd all be holding hands in a circle.
For better or worse, democracy treats facts and opinions equally. But a good boss won't. They are not equal, and only one leads to true progress.
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[0] http://www.cc.com/video-clips/ukn1y5/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-muslims-prepare-for-a-donald-trump-presidency http://www.cc.com/video-clips/ukn1y5/the-daily-show-with-tre...
- iopq 10y agoIn terms of design, everything is an opinion. You can't prove one design is better than the other... unless you ask for multiple people's opinion. It boils down to opinion in the end.
- Hoasi 10y agoYou can't prove a design is better than another but you can measure it. You can use beta releases or focus group and other methods. Abstract things like feelings and intuition tell you one design is better than another. Relying on intuition might be what works best if you are alone. But there are also concrete signs: user feedback, churn rate, etc. Although we can agree that the best design is not always the most successful. In the long run good design lasts.
- unabst 10y agoHaving good taste is the empirical skill for judging the aesthetics or experience of anything. If you have good taste, you know you can rely on your intuitions. If you don't, you need someone who has good taste. > You can't prove a design is better than another but you can measure it. If you can measure it, you can prove it. The missing key is priority. If you prioritize what your design needs to be better at, then you have a concrete reference for scientifically measuring one design against another. A common conflict is having multiple priorities. If you want a page to look good, but also want to maximize your ad revenue, well, no matter what you do, you've lost freedom in both. But if someone accuses you for building an ugly page, you can show them the numbers, and their opinion will not matter. It will matter as little as yours. I mean, you probably agree with them.
- unabst 10y agoEveryone having an opinion and there being opinions doesn't mean there isn't anything else. Design-wise any work can be broken down into all of its possible abstractions and inferences, just as a user interface can be measured by use cases. There is also technique, originality, coherence...These are factual and measurable, and any feedback regarding them would not be some opinion anyone could either take or reject based on their opinion. It would be stating a fact. If you're an artist, the love for your work far outweighs anyone's opinion. You should be doing what would make you love your work even more. And it will resonate with those who love the work also. For this to work, you must have good taste. Love and taste are not opinions. If something truly holds no empirical value or weight outside opinion, then you've just proved its worthlessness. If it only matters as much as opinions, it doesn't matter much. Do whatever you want. Points of view, food for thought, and expert advice are not opinions. And none of this is my opinion either. I am stating what I know.