Principles for work

A short blog post, to remember a thing I wrote at the weekend, and expand on it a little.

I am becoming conscious of a reputation I have when it comes to opinions on Large Language Models, and that feels quite a small topic to be bothered by. I think instead that it is just the current obsession for everyone, it becomes a topic of conversation, and then off we go from there. Granted, I didn’t necessarily help myself with the Cognitive Debt things, but hey, I write about lots of different things.

Here then are three principles for work which I believe to be true of myself, the way I try to run Smithery, and therefore where some of my opinions on certain matters might come from.

It is a work in progress, and thoughts are welcome.

1. Treat the work of the past with respect

Other people were here before you. Acknowledge them every time you can, and speak their names aloud. Understand where and when they were coming from. Pay them their dues, and pay them what they’re owed. The deal they struck then is the deal that stands now. You are not better, or smarter, or quicker; you’re just later.

2. Approach work in the present with honesty

If you’ve done a thing, say you have. If you haven’t, say who did, or might. Work as openly as you can. Steal from Perec: write in order to peruse yourself. Know why you wrote these words, drew these lines, and set this direction. Everything is LEGO: everything you see comes apart at the seams. Show others how.

3. Set up the work of the future for success

Try and separate whether you want to do something from whether you should. Carry your experience in the smallest bag.Test the boundaries. Do things, then work out why you’ve done them. Keep the options open, especially the invisible ones. Futures are not something we have, they are something we do.