Go slow to Go Fast.
Every time I read my kids the book, the tortoise always wins. Yet as adults we seem to have missed the lesson.
A read an article recently that really resonated with me:
https://philippe.bourgau.net/a-slow-code-retreat-to-be-less-in-a-hurry/
The part that really resonated was the story about losing a client because they were just too busy. A friend called me up a few months ago and wanted some help with managing a project at work. We set up an appointment for 9 am on someday the next week. The night before, I got an e-mail at 2am stating how an emergency happened at work and he was working late and was going to miss our meeting. So we scheduled a second meeting and the same thing happened again. At that point I just told him that it was clear he desperately needed my help, but he was not ready for it. Learning new skills and techniques takes time. If he couldn't find the time for a cup of coffee, he didn't have time to change his organization.
There is a saying: Go Slow to Go Fast. The key point is that people often think that the key to going fast is frantic activity. Frantic activity looks like progress, yet it is deceptive. Frantic activity lacks focus and leads to errors. The real key to going fast is being slow and methodical and making sure you are doing things right and more importantly that you are doing the right things. Having a slow code retreat seems like a great way to reinforce those habits. If anyone wants to participate in one, let me know. I'd be very interested in putting one on.
