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I work by effort/benefit ratio. Many programmers start ambitious projects with very high effort and low benefit, like e.g. a browser/os/videogame/library whic

I work by effort/benefit ratio. Many programmers start ambitious projects with very high effort and low benefit, like e.g. a browser/os/videogame/library which they maintain at expense of their health and limited time. Low effort, small-scale projects with immediate benefit/utility are much less taxing on health and don't require constant maintenance. Unix way https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_philosophy#Do_One_Thing_and_Do_It_Well https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_philosophy#Do_One_Thing_a...

ZephyrBlu 6y ago
> Many programmers start ambitious projects with very high effort and low benefit I would argue that they are actually high benefit, or at least appear as such to the person. I don't think many people would willingly choose to engage in high effort/low benefit activities. > Low effort, small-scale projects with immediate benefit/utility are much less taxing on health and don't require constant maintenance They are also much less fulfilling and interesting to many people.
- alpaca128 6y ago
  Benefit comes in multiple forms. There's the benefit you get when finishing a project, and the benefit of gathering experience on the way. In the end that's the way we learn and improve: by pushing the boundaries into unknown territory instead of always going with the methods that have already been working. To actually be sufficiently motivated to dive into a new hard area, having a goal is important, even if it's unrealistic. And when the time comes to actually build something serious it's good to be aware of what to expect and be familiar with the tools.
taneq 6y ago
I do something a bit similar with learning new tech. I used to just soak up whatever new thing I found interesting, but these days I don't have time to do this and so I have to make sure that every new thing I do learn "pays rent". It has to not just be immediately useful (unless there's no other way to solve the problem with my existing toolkit) but also to generate value in an ongoing manner for it to be worth the time investment.
- WanderPanda 6y ago
  This sounds like a life one would avoid when consciously thinking about it, yet this will be the destination for most people. I am constantly amazed by how people like geohot seem to escape this. And I am thinking if that could be a model for me, but then again I am maybe ~5-10 times less productive so that might be the limiting factor. And btw. I love that in english you say “to spend time” it really captures the investment perspective that you mention.

ZephyrBlu 6y ago

> Many programmers start ambitious projects with very high effort and low benefit I would argue that they are actually high benefit, or at least appear as such to the person. I don't think many people would willingly choose to engage in high effort/low benefit activities. > Low effort, small-scale projects with immediate benefit/utility are much less taxing on health and don't require constant maintenance They are also much less fulfilling and interesting to many people.

alpaca128 6y ago
Benefit comes in multiple forms. There's the benefit you get when finishing a project, and the benefit of gathering experience on the way. In the end that's the way we learn and improve: by pushing the boundaries into unknown territory instead of always going with the methods that have already been working. To actually be sufficiently motivated to dive into a new hard area, having a goal is important, even if it's unrealistic. And when the time comes to actually build something serious it's good to be aware of what to expect and be familiar with the tools.

taneq 6y ago

I do something a bit similar with learning new tech. I used to just soak up whatever new thing I found interesting, but these days I don't have time to do this and so I have to make sure that every new thing I do learn "pays rent". It has to not just be immediately useful (unless there's no other way to solve the problem with my existing toolkit) but also to generate value in an ongoing manner for it to be worth the time investment.

WanderPanda 6y ago
This sounds like a life one would avoid when consciously thinking about it, yet this will be the destination for most people. I am constantly amazed by how people like geohot seem to escape this. And I am thinking if that could be a model for me, but then again I am maybe ~5-10 times less productive so that might be the limiting factor. And btw. I love that in english you say “to spend time” it really captures the investment perspective that you mention.