4 ms·

That is a pretty cool question. Aside from ferreting out the mentality of the candidate or team (like are you bio-sciences and need to invent, or are you a CRM

by ibejoeb 15y ago

That is a pretty cool question. Aside from ferreting out the mentality of the candidate or team (like are you bio-sciences and need to invent, or are you a CRM software maker and have NIH?), it probably tells a lot about the kinds of problem you're dealing with. It turns out that I don't invent anything. I discover things that I never realized and perhaps nobody else has realized. Things like commonalities in seemingly different problems, generalized approaches to solving those problems, and other things that are intrinsic to the domain but not necessarily apparent. This is distinct from creating something new in that domain, and I think it's important to recognize that. update: based on this, I'm going to start asking "Have you ever discovered something?" It really doesn't matter if it's original, but I want to work with the kinds of people who are capable of making discoveries for themselves.

hackinthebochs 15y ago
The problem with this is that its just too damn ambiguous. What does "discover" mean in the context of software development? You have your own idea (which is a good one), but communicating that to a candidate so you're on the same page might take more time than its worth.
- ibejoeb 15y ago
  It has nothing specifically to do with software development, but toward that, I remember discovering many things. I discovered that I could keep track of an arbitrary sequence of dynamically created objects, but I didn't invent linked lists. I also discovered that I could sort things without comparing each item to every other item, and that it was "obviously" more efficient, but I didn't invent merge sort or Big O. If I'm talking to a razorblade salesman who figured that he can make recurring sales of razorblades when gives away handle to hold it with, I don't conclude that he invented the loss leader. I think it's fascinating to have arrived there not by way of rote. Surely you've made an independent discovery in whatever it was you were interested in at one time or another... This is just editorial now, and it's deviating from OP's concept. I find that I like to work with people that have strong ties to their crafts, whatever they are, and those people tend to have made discoveries, not necessarily inventions. Back to the point: really, how many individuals can say that he truly invented something? Great question, but "yes" to that would raise a flag for me.
  - raganwald 15y ago
    The question as written is highly imperfect. I’m very ok with the idea that perhaps one asks a series of questions getting atthe underlying ideas even if the words you use would differ from mine, or if the questions in one interview might differ from the questions in another.
    - ibejoeb 15y ago
      I think it's inspiring. Thanks for getting my wheels turning.

by ibejoeb 15y ago

hackinthebochs 15y ago

The problem with this is that its just too damn ambiguous. What does "discover" mean in the context of software development? You have your own idea (which is a good one), but communicating that to a candidate so you're on the same page might take more time than its worth.

ibejoeb 15y ago
It has nothing specifically to do with software development, but toward that, I remember discovering many things. I discovered that I could keep track of an arbitrary sequence of dynamically created objects, but I didn't invent linked lists. I also discovered that I could sort things without comparing each item to every other item, and that it was "obviously" more efficient, but I didn't invent merge sort or Big O. If I'm talking to a razorblade salesman who figured that he can make recurring sales of razorblades when gives away handle to hold it with, I don't conclude that he invented the loss leader. I think it's fascinating to have arrived there not by way of rote. Surely you've made an independent discovery in whatever it was you were interested in at one time or another... This is just editorial now, and it's deviating from OP's concept. I find that I like to work with people that have strong ties to their crafts, whatever they are, and those people tend to have made discoveries, not necessarily inventions. Back to the point: really, how many individuals can say that he truly invented something? Great question, but "yes" to that would raise a flag for me.
- raganwald 15y ago
  The question as written is highly imperfect. I’m very ok with the idea that perhaps one asks a series of questions getting atthe underlying ideas even if the words you use would differ from mine, or if the questions in one interview might differ from the questions in another.
  - ibejoeb 15y ago
    I think it's inspiring. Thanks for getting my wheels turning.