Effort

“We need an effort! Our daily employment lala does not bring us to our goal.” - Richard Seidl

What are we actually doing?

It’s uncomfortable right now. Climate. Society. Politics. Projects. We are feeling a rough wind. After years of prosperity and security, now this: climate crisis, division, fake news, war, inflation, AI, stagnating companies. It’s big and small. The sins of the past (like technical debt!) are now catching up with us - from the climate crisis to legacy software. We could have done a lot better, but we didn’t.

Thinking trap 1: Incorrect reference - in terms of time and location

Is the world going down the drain? You might think so. I don’t believe it. There have always been serious threats and crises in human history that have been overcome.
In my opinion, we are “looking” the wrong way. We look at our own lifespan - and that is probably characterized by growth, peace, prosperity and security. And we thought this would go on forever. But there is no evidence of this in the past. What there is, however, is that there have always been crises. People have been living in and with uncertainty ever since: first God throws us out of paradise, then the plague, the Spanish flu, wars, HIV, the global economic crisis, the financial crisis in 2007, 9/11 and corona - and? Humans have survived. Crises were overcome. Populism, campaigns, globalization, instant access to worldwide news and our preference for bad news - only bad news is good news - filter our perception and direct the focus of attention. A dramaturgy that makes us see the world the world worse than it is. The fact that we succumb to distortions of reality here could give us courage. Because we have the problem-solving skills and the energy to shape the course of events. If we want to. But that’s where the next problem lies.

Thinking trap 2: Employment & stress vs. exertion

What is needed now in all areas is an effort! Sweaty. With full commitment. Can you already feel the inner resistance? The beginning of gasping for breath and the impulse to justify yourself: I already have so much to do anyway! What else is there to do? And why me? I’m already stressed anyway … But what are we actually doing? Really? In times gone by, a craftsman created a workpiece. It was finished and brought benefit (and joy) to the buyer. Today, we only spend a fraction of our time doing something productive and meaningful. Instead, we sit in meetings, pass responsibility, pixels or words back and forth, procrastinate on social media, fill out forms for administration and bureaucracy - and are therefore busy day in, day out. And stressed. Yes, it’s also exhausting - but primarily because it’s unsatisfying. - With all due respect: what are we actually doing?
Everyone knows the good feeling when a targeted, pragmatic effort leads to a goal or when the joy of experimentation suddenly solves a problem. That feeling of satisfaction at having achieved something. And then it doesn’t matter whether it takes 4 or 5 days. But under the influence of a trance of crisis, data overload and bureaucracy, nobody goes the “extra mile” anymore.

What does that have to do with me?

As I said: as in the big, so in the small. Of course, we should all be world savers - but we can at least start with our own projects and companies. Especially in the software industry, we should ask ourselves: What do users really need? Does the feature contribute to anything? What about wasting resources? Sustainability? Does it make sense? Benefit?

These questions are exhausting. So is getting there. It is. But they also make sense. Displacement, on the other hand, increases the mountain of “technical debt”. It’s better to cut off old habits, finally delete old code, refactor, streamline processes and content. And then enjoy the good feeling of having achieved something.

With this in mind: Let’s get to work!