Greater Than Code

191: Sitting Down Together with Amy Tobey


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02:14 - Amy’s Superpower: Looking at a mess and seeing the potential for what it could be.

03:40 - Generalists vs Specialists

  • 071: Brein Power with Rein Henrichs
  • T-Shaped Skills
  • “The job description should describe the capabilities that the team needs, not that the individual needs.”

    15:28 - Finding a “Beautiful” Mess in Technical Systems

    “The biggest impediment to change is your users.” – Jessica

    • Richard Dawkins Demonstrates Laryngeal Nerve of the Giraffe
    • 22:40 - Artisanal and Industrial Modes of Production

      • Systems are indelibly stamped by the experience of the people who built them
      • 28:25 - Design, Use, and Reliability

        32:30 - Convincing Executives to Care About a Thing

        • Now vs Later
        • Where do we spend our attention to maximize value?
        • Viable System Model
        • Context Over Control / Communication Without Authority
        • 41:08 - Whistleblowing is Good Because Misuse of Authority is Bad

          51:33 - SRE (Site Reliability Engineering)

          “The goal of SRE is to change the way your organization relates to the systems it runs.” – Rein

          Reflections:

          Jessica: Bonus question: Amy, why do you hate the word, “mature”?

          Rein: “A problem is an abstraction extracted from a mess via analysis.” – Russel Ackoff

          Amy: Models: We keep trying the same patterns and complaining about the same outcomes.

          • Thinking by Machine: A Study of Cybernetics
          • Cybernetic Revolutionaries: Technology and Politics in Allende's Chile
          • Greater Than Code Episode 093: BOOK CLUB! Cybernetic Revolutionaries with Eden Medina
          • Brain of the Firm
          • This episode was brought to you by @therubyrep of DevReps, LLC. To pledge your support and to join our awesome Slack community, visit patreon.com/greaterthancode

            To make a one-time donation so that we can continue to bring you more content and transcripts like this, please do so at paypal.me/devreps. You will also get an invitation to our Slack community this way as well.

            Special Guest: Amy Tobey.

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            Greater Than CodeBy Mandy Moore

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