Get old, go slow, write code!
summary
Argues that developers become an asset with age and that controlled slow work pays off: average developer age ~28 and average tenure ~8 years, so churn wastes competence. Uses live polls via man.com code 7967 3730, cites the Peter Principle, and contrasts sprint mentality with a marathon approach (Ricardo Abad running 607 marathons) to push sustainable pace. Describes a Swedish Tax Agency migration where the team delays one year to build a maintainable system rather than rush and accrue technical debt. get old slow is good
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chapters (22)
- 0:00Aging and slowing down
- 1:10Myth of getting old
- 3:42Audience poll on age
- 6:21Age vs other professions
- 11:18Why devs quit early
- 14:00Peter Principle traps
- 18:34Slowness as strength
- 21:29Young devs smarter myth
- 23:13Sustainable pace over speed
- 26:26Rushing vs quality
- 28:32Startup first-to-market myth
- 30:40Quality beats speed
- 34:22Audience poll on stress
- 37:45Slow down to improve
- 39:53Process gardening
- 40:37Trust and safety in teams
- 41:41Team hygiene basics
- 42:24Planning and reflection
- 43:28Refactoring and debt
- 44:11Adding slack to avoid burnout
- 45:16Summary and call to slow down
- 46:35Career change advice
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