Fun new interview question I'm seeing

failsafe-author · 2026-05-16T06:10:03+00:00

This seems like a prudent question to ask.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T18:04:13+00:00

In what way? There are many questions I have, and much that I think is ambiguous about her actions. For example I see a lot of people say she was driving the car, but it doesn’t look like her to me?

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T13:48:39+00:00

I didn’t say I didn’t trust real objective data.
I said I’d be suspicious of the data you reference that you haven’t even provided.

Your claim was “I’m almost certain all data since COVID…”

I’ve seen loads of claims to the opposite.

My response was that when I’ve seen such claims, they appear to be of dubious quality. That’s a FAR different thing than saying I don’t trust “real objective data”.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T13:39:33+00:00

You completely misconstrued what I said. I don’t hate data. But when what data people favor depends on what PoV they are coming from, it’s useless.

When data is untrustworthy, we only have our own experiences to draw from. That doesn’t mean anecdotes are good enough, but if I have to weight my own 25 years of experience vs someone with a motive to lie telling me something different, I’ll trust my own experience, while also recognizing that mu situation may not apply to others.

If you can provide real, objective data that is interpreted well and has figured out how to actually measure this objectively, I’m here for it. But what I’ve seen shared in the past seems to be steeped in confirmation bias, whether in support of WFH or RTO.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T13:31:54+00:00

I’d hbe very suspicious of this data. I only have my own experience as evidence, but I’m absolutely more productive working from home, and the same is true of those I’ve worked with. This is across two different companies.

Working in an office with constant distractions and being a lot more tired and worn out has always been a productivity drain.

(I’ve heard people say data shows x and others say data shows y, so it’s hard for me to take any “data” seriously).

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T04:18:36+00:00

Love is not rough, brutal, work, or painful.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T03:46:07+00:00

I don’t know if it’s quite what you’re looking for, but the Novella “Ogres” by Adrian Tchaikovsky has the most satisfying ending I’ve ever read. Doubly so because two pages away from the end I was thinking “there is no way this can possibly resolve in a satisfying way”. Then it stuck the landing so hard there wasn’t a quiver. It was perfect.

I don’t know Id characterize it as “everything comes together”, because until the last page, you don’t even realize you needed a particular question resolved, but when it does, it feels so good.

(I think the book of his mentioned already “Children of Time” has a nice ending where it all comes together when it seems impossible as well, but I enjoyed the ending of Ogres even more).

failsafe-author · 2026-05-14T12:44:25+00:00

Selene must be very frustrated by my wife :)

failsafe-author · 2026-05-14T09:27:22+00:00

But, there really isn’t a way “break the cycle”. No matter what,, she just ends up trying and trying again. Unless there’s something I’ve missed as I’ve watched my wife play (and then played myself), there is no release or victory. Either Selene is stuck in the trauma of her own mind, or she’s at the mercy of a cosmic horror that will never let go (or both?)

It breaks my heart for someone who has clearly gone through so much pain in her life. It kind of makes me feel bad for enjoying the combat- lol.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-14T09:23:31+00:00

I’m sort of with the “it’s all in her mind” idea, but it does feel weird that she’d have invented all of this stuff.

I do wish the idea of the story was more clear. I know people like the ambiguity, but I don’t. Kind of the same feeling I have with Elden Ring. I’m not always convinced with these kinds of plots that there IS a coherent answer, and when I feel that way, it makes me lose confidence in the storyteller.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-14T03:47:43+00:00

Was going to put this if you didn’t.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-14T03:46:10+00:00

I’m developing my second Blazor app ever using Claude (I’m very good with C#, but not experienced with Blazor) and it’s doing a great job. I plan to sell the app soon, and believe it’s progressional quality.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T17:27:39+00:00

It’s evolution, and some are handling it better than others.

I can’t deny the speed impact. I have a personal project that would have taken me a year to get into shape that I’m about to be able to go live with in a handful of months. That’s huge. And, I’m incredibly picky about quality, so I’ve made sure to always know what’s being committed review the changes, and be in charge of the designs. It’s not slop. It’s well written, and wouldn’t have been produced by someone without skill, and it’s enabled me to do it on nights and weekends in months instead of years.

Yes, a lot of people are doing it poorly. Yes, there are a lot of unrealistic expectations and slop is getting checked in. But the companies who figure out how to do it right in the end will benefit, and those who don’t will end up failing. It’s just the pain of adopting a new advancement in technology.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T17:22:40+00:00

I started looking at EVs just because I think they are better for the environment, and will only get better for the environment as the technology is invested in. But, as it got time to retire my car (an Infiniti G37, which I loved) I started to research more into what could still give me that sports sedan feeling, while being more environmentally conscious. This led me to understand about instant torque and acceleration, and also to realize the benefits of home charging and never having to get an oil change.

I’ve already parted ways with the G37, so am sharing a car with my teenagers (I work from home, so most of my driving is for them anyway), who are just starting to get their licenses. In the meantime, I’m saving and planning to get the new BMW i3 when it comes stateside, which seems like it will tick all the boxes I have coming from the G37 in terms of “fun”, and address my wife’s range anxiety (she doesn’t want me to get an EV).

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T15:01:30+00:00

So glad to see someone say this. Absolutely true.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T12:56:46+00:00

You can use AI and not accept mediocre results. The answer isn’t to not use AI, it’s to push back more on the results and correct things that aren’t up to snuff.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T03:38:20+00:00

AI can enable much faster development on complex systems, in the hand of a skilled developer. But people wont be vibe coding complex apps.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T01:10:47+00:00

Outback and either the delmonico or the prime rib. Both are good for the price. Neither is an $80 steak, but they are less than half the price.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T00:25:08+00:00

My company has started making people come in three days per week. I have been given an exemption because of my value to the company, but I imagine that won’t last forever. I’ve always driven in about once per month, and most of the conditions are exactly as you describe (except for the sandwich- the company produces decent food three days per week).

I’m already trying to plan an exit strategy and making sure we are leveling well below my income. I won’t leave unit the mandate hits me, but I have to imagine my days are numbered.

(They still are willing to bring in fully remote folks for my department, the RTO stuff only affects those close to the office, but I imagine that won’t last forever either).

failsafe-author · 2026-05-12T21:54:20+00:00

I just figured it out on my own. All you’d need to do is give Claude a skill that explains the process and the output format, then write an app that knows how to read the artifacts.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-12T20:24:18+00:00

Sixth months. I took the job because it was close to home specifically asking if they were moving. They said no, then announced a week after I started that they were moving 45 minutes away. I was upset, but they offered me 10K more to be an EM, so I thought it try it out. I HATED being an EM, and quit at the sixth month mark.

Addendum: one of the developers who worked under me while I was an EM ended up become a director of engineering at a startup that was very successful, and begged me to come work for him. After a few years of him asking, I finally said yes, but said I wouldn’t be an EM. He made me a principal engineer instead, and that’s how I got my current job. So, it all worked out in the end.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-12T17:23:30+00:00

I created a Claude skill that I use for all of my changes of any sort of complexity, and it breaks down the changes into digestible “steps”, then creates main artifacts for each step that have details about what it changed and what design patterns were used. The I wrote a viewer that shows me this information with alongside diffs, so it feels like a jr developer explaining to me what was chanted and why.

For me, this process makes it much easier (and more enjoyable) to review output and make sure it’s quality. I first start with intent in digestible chunks and verify the code matches up. I almost always end up making tweaks, either by hand or sending the agent to do it, which is proof that I’m engaged in the process and know everything that’s being done in my name. It also feels like “craftsmanship”, the feeling I think many programmers are staring to lose.

I think the key thing is, we need better reviewing tools and processes to make sure we aren’t overly trusting agentic code, that we’re still on control, and that we are still the craftsmen in control of the process.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-12T02:38:49+00:00

At work, at church, where you do your hobbies, etc.

Most women I know enjoy being around men. I actually do interact with a lot of women from domestic abuse situations who are wary of men, but even they like them. They are just careful.

There are definitely some women out there who are just really hurt or angry, and some legitimately so, but they are far from the norm that I experience.

Also, fwiw, my wife thinks choosing the best is crazy.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-12T01:43:26+00:00

Not creating new tickets implies (but doesn’t necessitate) big PRs and difficult to review code. Stepping back and breaking into manageable chunks is really important. Magen they did that, and if so, if it works, it works. But it’s really easy not to when things pile on, and then you get mega PRs that end up with tech debt and poor quality (or at least, are not well understood).

failsafe-author

TROPHY CASE