When Things Wrong - Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention
Work on the wrong things first
-
Upload
amye-scavarda -
Category
Technology
-
view
153 -
download
0
Transcript of Work on the wrong things first
work on the wrong things first
@amye - [email protected] - someone who has done this
I believe that the world has expanded even further that we know about - and that no one person can understand all of it.
I believe that kindness extends towards bridging that divide between 'non-technical' and 'technical'.
I believe that Shakespeare was right. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
I believe this in email, I believe this in documentation, I believe this in meetings, and I believe this for technology.
That our actions towards each other indicate our humanity, our goals, and our collective achievements.
But I also believe that we have the best change to change things when we understand how they came to happen.
I believe that the agency that an individual person can have on the course of history is tremendous.
Given the right timing and the right colleagues and the right ideas, small day to day things can add up to monumental achievements.
I believe that the work that we can do will matter a great deal in the future, even if we do not see it now.
I believe that you don't get a chance to figure out what you really want and are inspired to do by magic - this doesn't come fully formed.
I believe that you find your way slowly, like reading a map, and that this map is different for all of us.
The experiences that leave us cold and give us nightmares - the ones that stick with us - are our most valuable, useful memories.
That we work best when we become entangled in something to be able to see the important things but also the flaws.
I believe that when we belittle each other for our work in the space, we lose sight of the power we have.
I believe that we need to think about our technology infrastructure as a public good and not as a private pay-for-access.
Except maybe, I've got one last suggestion. Just one. And that is, gear yourself for the long haul. Whatever path you choose -- business, nonprofits, government, education, health care, the arts -- whatever it is, you're going to have some setbacks. You will deal occasionally with foolish people. You will be frustrated. You’ll have a boss that's not great. You won’t always get everything you want -- at least not as fast as you want it. So you have to stick with it. You have to be persistent. And success, however small, however incomplete, success is still success. I always tell my daughters, you know, better is good. It may not be perfect, it may not be great, but it's good.
That's how progress happens -- in societies and in our own lives. Barack Obama - May 15, 2016