365QOD- Day1400

Fuzzy Random Inputs

"Fuzzing applying random inputs and looking for some unexpected outcomes"- Unknown

We tend to follow known rules often in our lives.   Once we figure out that given input A well result in output B, we can predict the output

  It becomes predictable and we move on learning another rule.

But there is a difference between predictable and optimal. In order to get to optimal level we must introduce a random fuzzy input A*.  Then we look for some unexpected result.   It could be B* or even Z*.  This randomness will nudge you towards that optimal that you will never get to by using predictable inputs.

A great example of this idea is when software is tested by people who would not normally use it.  They could introduce inputs that the normal user might not because they know better.   This is important to find bugs that traditional testers would not catch.

Today's question is:

"Do you test your ideas with fuzzy random?"

365QOD- Day1399

Bad Data

"What happens when we get flooded with false alarms and bad data?

We ignore all data."- Unknown

We are all drowning in data.  I do not  believe the quality of most data I consume. I have seen through the ignorance of those that report it.

But the quote provides an interesting twist on the bad data idea. The quote teaches us that it is ignored. You don't believe it?it

For a moment ask yourself when was the last time you ran towards a car whose alarm wad going off? Never.  Why? Because you know that most often cat alarms are false and it would be a waste of your time to bother.

Do you know that thieves also know this?   So if they want to to steal a cat they are Beyer off in seeing of a bunch of alarms at once.   Most of us would dance this to be a false alarm and not even bother while they steal what they want.

The lesson is that we still have to pay attention to false data otherwise  we could be ripped off.   But just because we pay attention to it does not mean that we accept it and act on it.

Today's question is:

"Do you ignore false alarms?"

365QOD- Day1398

Differentiating signal

"Some examples of differentiating signals are Simon Cowell and car alarms"- my words

One of the things that we do poorly add parents is praise our kids too much. Even when what they do is average we praise them add having done a super job.   This leads to a false sense of accomplishment.

When we grow up and get a job that level of false praise does not exist.   Often times company yearly review are designed to be negative.   The company feels that they hired ten Einstein and that one of them is a dud.

So what is the solution?

When Simon Cowell was on American Idol he offered a brutal review of the talent performance.  He had no fear of letting someone know that they ducked or that they need to improve. His advice was not only valuable to the contestant but to the audience as well.   By being a Differentiating signal he allowed us the audience to truly evaluate the talent.

I believe that we need to enviable or kids to improve but if they do not truly have a talent to be honest and let them know that they should try something else.

Similarly,  we have to risk being perceived as being difficult by providing that differentiating signal to our team.  This would allow the company to make better decisions.  Be careful! It could lead to your demise of used too often.

Today's question is:

"Can you be a differentiating signal ?"

365QOD-Day754

"Bad choices make good stories" - t-shirt slogan

I believe in learning to make better mistakes.  It is silly to make the same mistake over and over again.  It seems that you are just not awake if you make the same mistake repeatedly.  You are not living in the present.

When I saw this t-shirt I immediately wrote it down.  I sometimes try to remember slogans and later realize that it is a mistake because I can not recover them.  So I took my phone out and wrote it in a file called quotes.  I did not make the same mistake again. I made a better choice.

Another part of this slogan is the storytelling aspect.  I believe that most of us want to hide our mistakes. BUT if we could allow ourselves to share the mistakes we will definitely tell a good story that others will easily remember and maybe not make the same mistake.

Today's question is:
"Do you tell good stories?"

365QOD- Day747

“All Advice is autobiographical  It is one of my theories that when people give advice, they are really just talking to themselves in the past.  This book is me talking to a previous version of myself.”- Austin Kleon Steel Like an Artist book

We are so full of opinions.  When presented with a story we jump at the chance to offer advice.  Hell, sometimes we don’t even wait for the whole story.

This desire to solve the other person’s problem stems from the quote.  We are in a sense giving our younger selves advice.  It is as if we are solving our own past problems with new information gathered from experience.

Today’s question is:

“What is the best advice would you give your younger self?”

365QOD-Day299

"80/20 rule should be 90/10"- an opinion

I recently tried to explain to a co-worker the 80/20 rule.  How 20% of our activities result in 80% of our gains.

While reading articles on Behance site I came across a 40-30-30 rule in an article by Michael Schwalbe.  It was relating to ski training.  The author suggested that 40% is physical training.  During this phase you are suppose to fail daily.  You are trying to get your body to perform something that is new so failure is expected. 

The other 60% was mental training.  Of this percentage, 30% was technical skill and experience.  With practice you gain both.

The other 30% is where you take harder risks and increase the chances of failure.  However, you will not fail as often even though you are outside of your comfort zone.

"Only by trying something new, struggling, learning, and then trying again do we improve our performance.  It is simply acclimating to unchartered territory"

Interesting rule...

Today's question is:

"Does the 40-30-30 rule fit your experience?"

365QOD-Day228

"Heroes don't quit, so the only true failure is the failure to get up."- Peter Gruber

Recently I read a book called Tell to Win.  In it the author told a story of how when he was young he watched a handicapped child and father building a special bike. The kid then over time proceeded to try to ride the bike.

He fell many times.  The author thought that the father was cruel.  However, the kid kept getting up, refusing help, and eventually riding.

With each fall he learned what not to do.  As parents we want to prevent this behavior and provide our children with the solution.  This allows them not to learn how to learn or to develop their persistence.

Today's question is:
"How large is your persistence muscle?

365QOD-Day207

"Prototype as if you are right. Listen as if you are wrong." —Diego Rodriguez #99conf

We are creators.  We are always making things.  Some prototypes are physical and some are on the computer.

When creating one has to believe that that which one is creating is "right".  As a painter must, a creator must always modify their design as if they were wrong.

Be careful! Modify BUT not too often BUT often enough to get the desired result.

Today's question is:
"What are you going to modify?"

365QOD-Day18

"What are baby steps?"- Stefani's words to me

"Daddy, can you teach me how to shoot a ball?"
These were the words that my daughter spoke to me when she was about three years old. 
"OK, Go get your ball. ", I said. 

While she was doing that, I went to the laundry room and brought back the round laundry basket into the living room. 

"OK honey stand in front of the basket.  Now drop the ball." 
She did and let out a giggle. 
"Now take a baby step back and throw the ball into the basket." 
She did so successfully. 
"Now take another baby step back." 
Success again. 
"And another." 
This time the ball did not go in. 
"OK step forward one step." 
She looked puzzled.  She did and this time hit it. 
"Do it again." 
She did again successfully. 
"Now you are ready to step back."
Pretty soon she was hitting the basket with the ball from across the room. 

Magical! You take a baby step and observe your progress.  If you are successful then take another step in the direction you are successful.  If at any time you do not get a successful result then back up and work on the step you were recently successful to get your confidence back up. 

Interesting idea.  If you can identify the steps required to do a job, and break those down into sub-steps, and break these sub-steps into smaller steps until you get to a level where you can execute the smallest of these steps(baby steps) successfully. 

This is an idea that many top programmers use when writing code.  I used to ask my students to first write their comments first.  Then for each comment break it down into smaller section that could be fulfilled with a few lines of code.  For example, maybe a procedure requires seven steps.  I would ask them to comment the section that describes the next seven steps.  Then provide a sub-comment for each step and then the code in each step.  Why punish them with all that commenting when they needed to write code?  Well, the person most likely to troubleshoot the code years from now is the person who wrote it.  By asking for these baby steps they would be able to understand something that they did many years ago.  If they could explain it to themselves then they can fix it later.  Most often the students/programmers just wanted to start writing code without identifying these baby steps.  It seemed like such a waste to them.  If they were honest with themselves they would recognize it as a method to assure success. 

Today's question is:
"Can you identify the baby steps for something you are working on?"

P.S.  I can not think of a good reference.  If you can, please comment and I will add it.  THANKS

365QOD- Day7

"The way to succeed is to double your error rate."  Thomas J.  Watson

Your boss might  not be thrilled with this statement because you are being paid not to make mistakes.  It is interesting to note that the quote came from the founder of IBM.  It seems that he understood that making mistakes is important to success.  However, I would add that making adjustments to the strategy and technique, before making another attempt, is just as important as the willingness to make another attempt.   

Pick an area in which you want to experience greater success.  Examine your current effort and strategy.  Be brutal with your honesty.  Then ask yourself:
                              "How do we make better mistakes today?"