🚪🎬 You and Your Research

Friday 26 September. The case for 📂 Promotion case for Group Product Manager went in at 16:10 and stopped being mine. At about nine I put this on: a mathematician of eighty at a blackboard in 1995, giving the last lecture of a course he taught to naval officers, on how to do work that matters. Watched half that night and the rest before breakfast.

I knew the argument already. I read a written version of his earlier talk years ago, and issue 47 had gone out the day before asking his question in my words. Hearing him say it is different. He is not inspiring. He is slightly cross.

What he says, as I heard it

• Ask what the important problems in your field are. Then ask why you are not working on one. He asked this at lunch tables until he was no longer welcome at them.
• An important problem is not just a large one. It is one where you can see a way in.
• Luck goes to people who have prepared for it. He does not let anybody off with luck.
• People who work with the door open get interrupted, get less done today and know what matters in ten years. People with the door shut work hard on slightly the wrong thing.
• A little more effort each day compounds like interest. So does a little less.
• Set aside regular time to think about where the field is going. His was Friday afternoon.
• You have to sell the work. Doing it well is not enough and he is not sorry about that.

Note: 📖 Hamming on important problems. Claim: 💎 Important problems are chosen and not assigned. Issue: 📝 Issue 47 - Who chose your important problem.

Open Questions

• He assumes a research lab where you may pick your problem. In a product organisation the roadmap picks it. How much of my week is actually mine to aim? My guess is a fifth. I have not measured it.
• Is the open door the same thing as my office days? Tuesday to Thursday I am interrupted and I know everything. Monday and Friday I write and know nothing. 💎 Makers need half days and managers need hours says I need both and he would say the open door wins.
• He is hard on people who wait to be asked. So was Leona Abara in July, in fewer words.
• 16 November, two days after the answer. Watched the last ten minutes again. The no does not change the question. It only removes one excuse for not answering it.