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It’s a factual statement that programmers and developers dislike meetings. But have you ever wondered why such professionals dislike meetings so much compared to other people? The answer is simple but obvious once pointed out: meetings are in essence costly to them.

This blog is about the two stick figures from the comic by Jason Heeris, ‘THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULDN’T INTERRUPT A PROGRAMMER’: the maker and the manager and the fundamental problem that occurs when their schedules meet.

ProgrammerInterrupted
Note: Much of the content of this blog post is borrowed from this essay by Paul Graham. It was written in July 2009, more than 10 years ago! If you can find the time I highly recommend the original essay, it’s a classic.

So what does this mean?
For managers:
• Understand that the cost of an interruption is significantly higher for makers than for managers.
• The next time you want to interrupt a programmer deep in thought, think of the comic.
For makers:
• Understand that managers operate on a different day-to-day schedule than you do and respect that.
• Clearly communicate that you need long stretches of uninterrupted time to deliver great work, but be willing to compromise.
Maker’s schedule v. manager’s schedule
In his work, Graham argues that there are two different types of schedules, which he calls the maker’s schedule and the manager’s schedule.
The manager’s schedule can be thought of the traditional calendar. The day is neatly sliced into hours. You can schedule more than 1 hour for an appointment or meeting but by default you can switch tasks every hour or 30 minutes.
The maker’s schedule is different. The maker’s schedule is for programmers and writers who prefer longer stretches of uninterrupted time. For a writer or programmer, it takes time to get started, it is difficult to produce something truly valuable in half an hour.
For people on the maker’s schedule, ill-planned meetings come with a cost that is both high and not immediately obvious. A single meeting can ruin a whole morning by breaking up a long period into just short enough periods where exactly nothing of value can be produced. Meetings are like the interruptions from the comic, but on a macro level.
Sources:
http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html
https://heeris.id.au/2013/this-is-why-you-shouldnt-interrupt-a-programmer

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I still remember my very first time learning the concept of disruptive innovation by reading an article from my favourite economist, Joseph Schumpeter. He used the term “creative destruction” for what we nowadays call and use and being influenced by, as disruptive technology. Looking back since the time he published his research on creative destruction in 1942, we have come a long way.

There is no doubt that disruptive technologies or, in Clayton M. Christensen’s point of view, innovations have transformed our lives forever. Not only they vastly affect our lives on individual level but also the business sphere in a way, I would say fierce and might considered invasive. This has raised legal and regulatory concerns across the globe. How safe are we and how much privacy we have left in response the boom of digital innovations, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), drones, Augmented Reality (AR), block chain as well as distributed ledger technology that includes cryptocurrencies and big data.

Let’s take an example, Facebook, a giant tech firm recently has been fined with a record breaking $5 billion by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for the failed effort in protecting user data and its interference in the U.S. election with the use of AI and mathematics algorithm. Facebook was allegedly claimed to use data of millions of its user provided by a British consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, to psychologically profile US voters and target them with material to help Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Facebook has then apologized to its users and admitted a “breach of trust” has occurred.

In general, AI creates the typical so-called “black box” problem when decisions are made based on algorithm. These algorithms can be so complexly programmed that even its creator fails to acknowledge or detect any breach of market norms or identity any crime. If such algorithm made public, it would lead to data security breach, especially in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) directive issued by the European Commission in May 2018, requiring companies to explain how algorithms using personal data work and make decisions. The more a company’s business model depends on its technology, the more prone it is to malicious cyber attacks.

As further developments of technological disruptions are being implemented and as the number of its users increasing enlarges, solving the issue of cyber security is a difficult but necessary step. In addition, knowing how to turn this threat into an opportunity will create a sustainable development model for big tech companies.

Besides, we have seen government’s actions in taking this matter further, however mostly ad-hoc. According to the strategic triangle policy, a good policy should be technically correct, politically stable and organisationally implementable. Given the fact that technology changes very rapidly, it is imperative that adaptive regulations take place in time to avoid expensive and drastic consequences. This calls for effective and mutual collaboration between tech firms and regulatory institutions on both regional and global level.

References:

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/02/how-can-we-regulate-disruptive-technologies/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48972327

The maker versus the manager and their fundamental problem

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How sustainable are we with disruptive innovation?

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