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Comment by doctoboggan | Hacker News Reader

There is something very fulfilling (at least to me) about working this way. Not solving the problem in the best way, but solving it in the way you can _right now_. When I was younger this was how I solved most problems, but in my professional life I can't really do that (and for mostly good reasons).

I follow someone on YouTube who moved to a small island in Panama, built his house, many boats, and lots of other items by hand using what he has. He is definitely crazy but he personifies this get it done attitude. A few years ago I travelled to Africa to volunteer at a hospital and was tasked with fixing an oxygen machine. I had to channel this YouTuber because there definitely was not the right tools and I definitely needed to get it done. I honestly surprised myself in how I was able to fix it and it was quite fulfilling.

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When I worked as a bike mechanic in my late teens, we referred to this approach as 'shade tree mechanic work'. I loved it, because of the creativity involved. However, I grew to have a great respect for the work of other mechanics, who were more interested in taking more pains, ordering the right tool or part if it wasn't around, and typically having a somewhat better outcome.

I think there is room for both. Definitely during the prototype phase of a project, or on projects where there are very hard time constraints (epoxy is drying, etc.), or when you're out in the woods or whatever, working fast and creatively can be most beneficial. However as you transition into the finished product, it's often better to do use fresh and appropriate materials, do more QA/QC, write a robust test suite, and put a bit of polish on it (especially if it's for public consumption).

I hadn't really thought about it in these terms before, but your comment made me realize this mindset is probably a big part of why I like spending time in wilderness areas. Being without cell service miles from another group of people very much forces a "figure it out" attitude. Solving a tricky situation, with some consequence at stake and using a hodgepodge of resources, is deeply satisfying for me.

(Author here) Do you think that "figure it out" attitude helps make you become more present and alive? The moments I come out of my numb and autonomous ways of operating, I feel "alive," and it's often associated with that "figure it out" feeling.

I enjoy what I refer to as 'bodge DIY' especially when working in my garden, using whatever is available to complete little projects without buying new stuff (materials and also sometimes tools). I certainly get satisfaction when an idea pans out, and in that sense feel more alive than if I'd just followed some instructions using the correct stuff.

One good example occurred during our first COVID lockdown (in the UK) in 2019. DIY stores weren't open at all for a while. I'd decided to paint the roof of my summer house and while prepping it discovered that a couple of places had got completely rotten. We had rain storms forecast for a few days hence, so I had to make and attach a waterproof / windproof 'nosecone' for the roof using only the stuff available in my shed / garage. Very enjoyable, once I figured it out.

This is how I feel about cooking. I get more satisfaction out of cooking with limited ingredients or with limited tools available, than I do when cooking with more serious foodie friends who have custom made kitchens and fully stocked exotic pantries.

If I may presume to be able to translate to dev-speak:

"Have no fear in accruing technical debt before your first major refactor, but when it comes time to 'do things right', you better do just that"

Jamie's channel is one of my all time favorites. I love watching him work exactly because of his general attitude toward problem solving and how different it is from mine.

https://m.youtube.com/user/JMEMantzel/videos

Can you suggest one as an 'entrypoint'? I watched a couple after Matthias Wandel mentioned him, but they were a bit.. well, even the comments were saying things like 'that's it he's really fallen off the deep end now'.

Not sure how far back his YT channel goes, but I used to follow Jamie way back when he was based in a crappy flat in Southern England, developing some kind of hexapod toy, and thereafter when he was in [somewhere in North America] building a crazy place in a forest somewhere.

I've not been able to get into his Southern American adventures so much.

> When I was younger this was how I solved most problems, but in my professional life I can't really do that

I find the same, mostly because my motivation to solve problems has changed significantly.

(Author here) I share your perspective. As you can tell, it was eye opening and it really started to shape how I approach problems. I'd love to check out those YouTube channels.

I'd highly recommend Jeremy Fielding's channel to people looking for workshop projects without the odd eccentricity, but still using scavenged and repurposed materials.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_SLthyNX_ivd-dmsFgmJVg

Could you share a link to the Panama guy? (Asking for a friend.)

Edit: Got it, this one as per the other comments: https://youtube.com/user/JMEMantzel/videos

I agree. I think that's why I love roguelike games. Each time you play you get different situations and are equipped with different things, so you need to solve different problems eachtime.

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