3 ms·

This is how I’ve been most successful so far at using LLMs. They help me poke as you say at the problem until a satisfying solution appears or until I have enou

by weikju 3y ago

This is how I’ve been most successful so far at using LLMs. They help me poke as you say at the problem until a satisfying solution appears or until I have enough info to know what to look for.

sph 3y ago
But that is a terrible way of dealing with hard problems. I recommend Rich Hickey's "Hammock Driven Development" talk. You don't solve hard problems by poking at it repeatedly until something works, that is the recipe for terrible code and abstractions. You instead take a step back from your computer and digest it until you come with a well-understood solution. This approach is what separates the experienced engineer from the junior. Code is the least of your problems.
- jstummbillig 3y ago
  I don't know what experience you draw from, and what is lost in assumption here (on both sides, "hard problems" is open to a lot of interpretation), but the entire premise behind agile is, that thinking a solution up is not how software development works. You chunk things up, you iterate, you stay flexible, precisely because sitting down and thinking hard is not realistically working for a sizeable, messy, real world business solution.
  - sph 3y ago
    I draw from my 17 years of experience in the field, but I am well aware that people work differently. There are the John Carmack types, whose output depends on how much time on they spend at keyboard, and the Rich Hickey types, whose output depend on how much time they spend on a hammock with their eyes closed (or under the shower in my case). I am afraid I am of the latter type. My best solutions are found away from the keyboard, as I have learned to simply depend on my subconscious to process and digest them while I'm doing other things. Check out that talk still, it has deep insight on how the human brain operates.
- weikju 3y ago
  Poke around as in, at least in my case, discussing and throwing ideas back and forth. this is not incompatible with hammock-driven development (big fan here). It's however a good way of "discussing" ideas and solutions, and has been working well for me as part of an overall strategy to solve my problems. (30 years of experience in the industry if we're counting)

by weikju 3y ago

This is how I’ve been most successful so far at using LLMs. They help me poke as you say at the problem until a satisfying solution appears or until I have enough info to know what to look for.

sph 3y ago

But that is a terrible way of dealing with hard problems. I recommend Rich Hickey's "Hammock Driven Development" talk. You don't solve hard problems by poking at it repeatedly until something works, that is the recipe for terrible code and abstractions. You instead take a step back from your computer and digest it until you come with a well-understood solution. This approach is what separates the experienced engineer from the junior. Code is the least of your problems.

jstummbillig 3y ago
I don't know what experience you draw from, and what is lost in assumption here (on both sides, "hard problems" is open to a lot of interpretation), but the entire premise behind agile is, that thinking a solution up is not how software development works. You chunk things up, you iterate, you stay flexible, precisely because sitting down and thinking hard is not realistically working for a sizeable, messy, real world business solution.
- sph 3y ago
  I draw from my 17 years of experience in the field, but I am well aware that people work differently. There are the John Carmack types, whose output depends on how much time on they spend at keyboard, and the Rich Hickey types, whose output depend on how much time they spend on a hammock with their eyes closed (or under the shower in my case). I am afraid I am of the latter type. My best solutions are found away from the keyboard, as I have learned to simply depend on my subconscious to process and digest them while I'm doing other things. Check out that talk still, it has deep insight on how the human brain operates.
weikju 3y ago
Poke around as in, at least in my case, discussing and throwing ideas back and forth. this is not incompatible with hammock-driven development (big fan here). It's however a good way of "discussing" ideas and solutions, and has been working well for me as part of an overall strategy to solve my problems. (30 years of experience in the industry if we're counting)