391 karma · joined October 10, 2011
"In the trade-offs between time, cost, and quality, we know you can have two but not all three, which two are valued here? And you can't say we value all three."
The last part is important, because when I first started asking it people just said they were special and did all three, but we know that it never works that way.
Some modules can be completely re-written for better results, for instance our tax system could be replaced by some type of flat-tax.
Other ones can get by with significant refactoring over a long period, maybe financial regulation could have better consumer protection and ultimately allow for a more equitable distribution of wealth (I'm' not economist, maybe those goals don't even involve each other)
And other ones just need bug patches, for instance interstate commerce, which I'd guess is smooth as a cucumber right now, but we could have more states align on issues of policy that create confusion in the marketplace (a Delaware C copr is a great example of people finding those simple solutions).
It is hard to think of a really good, functioning part of government, but generally those are the ones we don't even notice. The government is great at handing out money to people, and that is often touted as the only social program we really need. We can reform the broken way it hands out contracts to companies.
Here's the thing. Starting over is a fanciful idea, but completely stupid. When you re-build a system, you have to re-build the parts that worked too. And for what it's worth, democracy works and change happens. Yes it sucks that it's slow, but it's sure.
In truth, this article engages in a sort of fallacy, we're only doomed if we think doom is the only outcome that's possible. There's another version of this article that could happen called "American democracy can be fixed with sensible design".
I studied mechanical engineering, and I consider that a degree for anyone who's curious about the world. If you want to have a strong foundation to peel back the layers of existence, you really can't do much better.
I think one thing we sorely lack in modern education is a strong minor system. Students could easily get their well-roundedness by obtaining minors in subjects that interest them, and if the subjects are quite different from a job getting major, then all the better. I believe Paul Graham would say this is how startups happen.
Furthermore we need a strong system of technical minors as well. If a bootcamp in SF can get you an entry-level dev job, then why shouldn't a minor in CS train you as a web developer? Or why couldn't a sociologist minor in UX?
I think we had the same reaction to the clickbait headline though. I thought "No, it's no secret, it was widely known about when it came out and as I recall, it didn't get good reviews"
No one benefits from a half-baked half-implemented app, which these kinds almost always are. If they are fully-implemented in maintained, then it's a different story, apps can change lives, but it's hard long work to change a life. But if the app is abandoned or half-done, then really the client will end up viewing the developer more or less like the other scam artists they have to fend off.
In my opinion, the approach itself is pretty flawed. You as a talented person come help those less fortunate than you for 12 weeks, it seems like a win-win, but really I think most sides just end up frustrated. Off the top of my head, a better solution might be to actually try and build your own cleaning business with that community and then see what tools you need. Software is software, cleaning is cleaning, you can't be a domain expert in one and then just know what will work in the other, I think you need deep expertise in both.
Book mark it and share it.
It's certainly interesting that they're managing to keep the tightness up without resorting to any truly strange designs.
However as some have noted, cost will keep it from being adopted. Let's face it, fastening is the last thing considered in a project and the last thing bought. Even for large projects it's at most a few percent of budget and people are desperate to limit it's cost as much as possible.
Also, truly there's no need for a product like this unless the stress on the bolt, nut and what's being fastened have to be manage just perfectly. Otherwise the simplest solution to relaxation is just tightening more. Then it relaxes to an appropriate stress.
Almost all bolts in the world are under-tightened. Greater analysis of the joint you're tightening rather than a fancier nut will pay off many more dividends.
Let me clarify. I applaud the effort, fastening needs research and development badly, but this is no miracle nut, rather it's a specialized application.
Tangibly you experience startup culture in three ways:
1. Being at a hub where that scene happens (almost always a co-working space or accelerator), 1871 here in Chicago is such a place, and it's a co-working spot 2. Having access to an organization that hosts events and alerts you to events and dispenses local news, BuiltInChicago is our local site that has keeps an up to date event calendar and where announcements happen. 3. Working with a startup, freelancing for startups or building projects at hackathons. Where you know, "work" actually happens.
If you find those three things you'll get more startup culture than you need, and it doesn't have to happen in a big city. I'm pretty sure Kansas City fits that bill. Omaha definitely does. Nashville, pretty sure.
I've been looking for a way to be handloomed textiles for some time and this website helps find all the government agencies, but then each of their sites are hopelessly broken.
I've encountered bad links, broken pages, email bounce backs and a woeful lack of information. However if they upgrade those sites to the quality level of this one, then business in India really will be easier.
Chances are you're like most people and have a wide variety of interests and hobbies, and so trying to keep up the pretense that you just care about your startup or current project can be emotionally exhausting. It's basically lying to yourself.
I don't really have a concrete answer for you in how to break this funk. Funks can happen. The advice all people here have given you is spot on, I will just add that all that advice should be tried and discarded if not useful, it's what worked for them, might not work for you. I personally also suggest include avoiding online content and getting outside. I also suggest you figure out some way to learn to make peace with tedious work, it happens in almost all client work.
Good luck friend!