Having business invariants be part of system design. It makes sure that system prevent invalid states by design. An incredible multiplier in both productivity and complexity management further down the road.
Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?
261–270 of 424 posts
Re: Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?
#262Knowing how to use Google (or another search engine) is probably the biggest multiplier of all. Odds are someone has done something on the sort of problem you are trying to solve.
Those are exactly the things that anybody else could do just as well as you. What makes you valuable (if you are) is exactly the things that nobody can just as well look up on Google.
They could, but generally they don't. There is some truth to what you say, but if you've worked anywhere for very long, you'd also realize most people are very, very bad at looking things up on their own! They'll try to reinvent the wheel when the wheel already exists (or almost.)
Re: Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?
#263Earlier quoted context omitted.
this is an unhelpful response: the guy asks a straight question and the response is to "challenge the underlaying [sic] idea" It would be better to answer their question, rather than attempt to knock it down. (good example of zero-sum bias.)
Most people on hn don't have deep technical knowledge and don't like to be told that it matters
I have deep technical knowledge on some subjects, but how I got there is through curiosity and reasoning, like the parent commenter said.
There is knowledge you can acquire, and then there are skills that can allow you to acquire the right knowledge at the right time. For example, having a baseline understanding of logic and mathematical reasoning could help you to understand when a problem area might already be formalised, and to find that area and understand the work therein.
Re: Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?
#264There are few productivity boosters greater than spending time learning the tools you use in and out. This goes for hotkeys in software all the way to quirks about a language.
Could be useful
MIT - The Missing Semester of Your CS Education
[Most] Classes teach you all about advanced topics within CS, from operating systems to machine learning, but there’s one critical subject that’s rarely covered, and is instead left to students to figure out on their own: proficiency with their tools. We’ll teach you how to master the command-line, use a powerful text editor, use fancy features of version control systems, and much more!
Topics include:
Shell Tools and Scripting, Editors (Vim), Data Wrangling, Command-line Environment, Version Control (Git), Debugging and Profiling, Metaprogramming, Security and Cryptography
Re: Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?
#265Earlier quoted context omitted.
>being able to see a problem, break it down, and understand how to manipulate it into something that's attainable Wasn't this Alexander the Great's approach: divide and conquer? Every problem gets solvable if you break it into enough pieces
> Every problem gets solvable if you break it into enough pieces Someone needs to just sit down and break P vs NP into enough pieces.
Traveling Salesman is "solved" basically this way with modern map apps: it may not be "optimal", but it's close enough
And close enough, as the adage goes, is almost always "close enough"
Re: Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?
#266Earlier quoted context omitted.
The measure of how much value YOU generate for YOURSELF is how much you get paid. But generally, if you can generate a lot of value for the company, and demonstrate it, you will go far, and you will make much more money, especially if you can do it consistently and threaten to leave. Doing a jira ticket in 20 minutes instead of 2 hours, then spending the extra time watching youtube is fine, but how about becoming a m…
;) heh. I can't relate because I've been freelance since 2001, but I do remember how much I hated the fact that my bosses bought new cars and took trips and took credit for my work while I was making $8.50/hr as a junior webmonkey. Guess I never saw the future in it. But if I knew I'd be flying first class now, maybe I would reconsider... In all seriousness, though, aren't people mostly paid what they're worth if the…
> In all seriousness, though, aren't people mostly paid what they're worth if they know how to demand it?
No - effectively all employees are paid less than their value to the company. This is where profit comes from.
Re: Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?
#267Earlier quoted context omitted.
It works in the digital world because it comes from the physical: I owned a powertool that sat unused for 5+ years because I thought I didn't have an application for it Was shown how to use it effectively, and improved my efficiency by more than double on the task it's good for
Out of curiosity, was it a variable speed oscillating tool?
No, it was my impact drill
I was under the fallacious understanding you only needed an impact drill if you were trying to remove really stuck-on nuts/bolts (like rusted lug nuts)
As it turns out ... they're AMAZING for driving deck and roofing screws :)
Re: Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?
#268Earlier quoted context omitted.
Absolutely this. I was a chronic procrastinator prone to intense anxiety and breakdowns just before deadlines. Then I took a really good ~3 hour course on time management, and it seriously changed my life. I can’t even describe how much more productive I am. It’s changed how I approach every task, professional and personal. I can’t even remember the last time I felt any sort of stress or anxiety about my to-do list.…
Could you share any tips or the name of the course?
Sorry about that—edited the original comment to include more info :)
Re: Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?
#269Earlier quoted context omitted.
Absolutely this. I was a chronic procrastinator prone to intense anxiety and breakdowns just before deadlines. Then I took a really good ~3 hour course on time management, and it seriously changed my life. I can’t even describe how much more productive I am. It’s changed how I approach every task, professional and personal. I can’t even remember the last time I felt any sort of stress or anxiety about my to-do list.…
Can you share this resource?
Sorry about that—edited the original comment to include more info :)
Re: Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?
#270Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is complete bs, real innovation happens exclusively in the top 1 percent of the field. This is just coolaid that some people like to drink to de emphasize the value of real skill and inflate their own egos.
*Kool-aid, you 1%-er.
guess it depends on whether it's the Jim Jones version, or the stuff that aids you in being cool ;)