This has come up in enough conversations that I thought I should write it down.
A few weeks ago, my bro said to me
If you can’t make an economic case for an engineering decision/initiative, you might wanna leave it alone.
And while I agree, consideration should also be given to the opposing perspective.
Don’t neglect the human side
Software development is a human process. We are humans with human needs. Sometimes I just don’t have the energy to tackle a new feature, but I want to work. Picking an item off the Fun List and tidying it brings me joy. Don’t underestimate how much better you are as a programmer when you’re happy . Kent Beck, in “Tidy, First?”
And I’ve found that time and time again, after catering to those human needs by tackling a low hanging fruit, I’d have built enough momentum and a rush to pick up more challenging work.
Feels like the same mental trick as a pomodoro.