design principles
- data is our alpha and omega
- make modular over integrated systems
- static sites break less
- microservices over apps
- design for re-use, not one-time solutions
- always try something new in a project
- ownership, if the lights go out, have the switch to turn them back on
- avoid single points of failure
"The Hedgehog and the fox"
There once were two forest animals who lived two very different lives. The hedgehog lived a very consistent life. He knew precisely where to forage for food and how best to keep it safe. He'd go back year after year. He did things the same way because it made life predictable and secure. He knew one thing, and he knew it better than anyone else. Because of this way of being, the hedgehog had time to explore other interests and made small improvements to his routine over the years, and he never felt uncertain or afraid that he'd have no food. He was also incredibly dull.
The fox was a very different creature. She dashed into the farm to steal eggs from the chickens. The next moment she'd be knawing on berries in a glade. She lived in the moment and was free to go where she pleased. Each day brought unexpected challenges and puzzles. She was always up to something new and in novel ways. But she had to start from scratch, and most often things didn't work out the way she'd planned.
One day, a young owl fell out of its nest. It sat on the ground, watching the other animals. The hedgehog and the fox caught its attention because they lived such different lives. One was drearily consistent but reliable. The other was clever and fast, but nervous things wouldn't work out.
The owl wanted to be something in between. It wanted the best of both sides while avoiding all the problems. The hedgehog just did one thing. So the owl decided, "I'm never going to get stuck doing things one way or another, no matter how confident and secure I might feel." But "I have to know some things better than others. I can't just dash about pretending that I can do anything and hope things just will work out."
Having overheard the owls declarations, the fox asked, "Really?! That's a poor compromise." She continued, "You'd just be a hedgehog who does two things rather than just one." "What you need most," she said right to the owl's face, "is to be nimble, feisty, and hungry. That's the only way you'll stay alive in these fast-changing times. You'll never be able to keep up if you settle on one or two things."
The hedgehog had been listening from the mouth of his burrow. Now he had to object. "Oh, come on," he said, "you sound like a kid at the fair. Nothing's better just because it's new. Before long, there'll be some new kind of thing." "You are, as always, incredibly dull and irritating," replied the fox.
It was getting dark, and the owl needed to return to the nest. Neither the fox nor the hedgehog was going to make things any better. Their characters were perfectly at odds.
As the owl stared up at the tree, the leaves rustled. A few fell to the ground just like they had. "Perhaps I can learn from the seasons," thought the owl. There are different times of day and times of the year. Time can resolve my paradox. For the fox is most at home when the weather is clear. She darts around and enjoys the start of the year. But the hedgehog is warm and content in the dark. He ends the year with a full belly. So while I am young, thought the owl, I will be many things. I will howl at the stars and make mischief. Once I have proven myself and am viable, I can develop, burrow, and make a stable home for the winter. And when I am cold and gone, I can easily soar into the sunset.
The owl thought about all these things and decided that all of this would make for an excellent project development strategy. But that, my friend, is another story.