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    Vacuuming is only fun if it's rattling in the hose

    • Thursday, Feb 20, 2020
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    [Reading time: 58 seconds]

    Why is that? Well, because it feels nice to do something useful.

    In fact I read that vacuum cleaner manufacturers have a design criterion of “satisfying sound” for their vacuum hoses. It’s funny, but it makes sense to me.

    But it’s about ore than satisfaction: rattling hoses are a signal that you’re doing something useful. You’re actually removing dirt.

    Similar stuff applies to software development: If you’re doing code reviews, or testing before check-in, or signing off on releases, and can’t point to a time when the protocol said “nope, go back to the drawing board” you’re not actually making your development safer. You’re making it a hassle.

    Feedback comes from lots of places: if your feedback loops seem to be running empty that in itself is a signal you should be paying attention to.

    Are you collecting the most valuable feedback you could? Or are you just paying lip service to QA so you can point at all the checked boxes and proclaim it wasn’t your fault that prod fell over, again?