October 15th, 2023 I was wrong about burn-out; entering the red ocean. By Jeffrey M. Barber

Right now, I’ve been leading an idealistic existence without competition in a blue ocean… alone… I invented this thing as a craftsman scratching a deep itch about how to build software better. As such, I’m shifting strategies for a variety of reasons; I’m focusing on a new business to leverage Adama rather than try to create demand.

180° shift

At first, it may seem like I’m taking an U-turn from being this nice guy where I want an organization to be free of burn-out, to experiment with new ways to hire, a fairer way to organize people, a happy path of techno enlightenment, a place to overcome my inability to prioritize, have faith to try new things, and enjoy life on my terms via retirement.

The u-turn is a shift from the the vast blue ocean to constrained red oceans full of blood. Obviously, some ideals will have to go away as they are not applicable for head to head competition.

When I reflect on my career, I was most happy when I had competition. Whether an antagonistic senior engineer or a competing team, I love the game when the winner is determined by data. And I will science the shit out of my competition.

However, it wasn’t stress that broke me, but rather the boredom of peace.. It was the softness, the exercise of restraint as a senior leader, the weak language, fake morality, and the lack of fight.

Rallying Troops

The number one reason to shift to this strategy is people.

I like to work with people that challenge me, and my ideals about a better way to live are incongruent to developing deep skills. At the end of the day, the person that got more done in the right dimensions is more valuable than the person that floated about.

Recently, I’m thinking about junior engineers. Work-life balance for junior engineers should tilt towards work and skill development. Balance is then achieved over your life if your finances are disciplined. The stock market is a true wonder where you can transfer wealth across time.

With that in mind… we all die.

Death awaits us all, and when I think of a young person in their twenties then it is morally unconscionable to let them waste their time becoming useless.

There is nothing worse than being useless.

If you try to have a nice balance as a young person, then you will work your entire life while being vulnerable. There are many vices with so many people seeking to claim your time and reduce your competence. My message to young people is to maximize your competence, and this requires doing difficult things.

Do difficult shit, risk burn-out, push yourself… fail to do this, and die with regret.

My mission for the young

Enter the arena and start the path of excellence.

Then, once you survive the arena, have excellent skills, then do as I did and take a break. Peace is only meaningful when you are capable of waging war.