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The Most Important Optimization: Happiness (Rub...

The Most Important Optimization: Happiness (Ruby Midwest)

Last presentation before closing keynote at Ruby Midwest 2013 in Kansas City, MO.

Metaprogramming. It's awesome, right? Powerful? Maybe a little scary?

Let's kick things up a notch. If writing code that writes code is powerful, what's hacking the life of the programmer writing the code? That's got to be an 11 on the meta-meter. *At least.* We'll talk about some of the bad assumptions we've made, lies we've bought into, and why we have the most awesome job ever.

Ernie Miller

April 06, 2013
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  1. we’re hiring.* * “we’re hiring” is not part of the

    LivingSocial brand, but totally should be
  2. TDD

  3. require 'minitest/autorun' class LifeTest < MiniTest::Unit::TestCase def setup @life =

    Life.new end def test_that_it_is_awesome assert @life.awesome?, 'Sucks to be you.' end end
  4. Dr. Martin Seligman P E R M A ositive Emotions

    ngagement elationships eaning chievement
  5. CAR

  6. SPOT THE DIFFERENCE! class Greeting def initialize(greetable) @greetable = greetable

    end def to_s "Hello, #{@greetable}!" end end class Greeting def initialize(greetable) @greetable = greetable end def to_s "Hello, #{@greetable}!" end end
  7. SPOT THE DIFFERENCE! class Greeting def initialize(greetable) @greetable = greetable

    end def to_s "Hello, #{@greetable}!" end end class Greeting def initialize(greetable) @greetable = greetable end def to_s "Hello, #{@greetable}!" end end Coded in Louisville Coded in San Francisco
  8. Capacity Activities Relationships Time Fun Family Money Challenging Friends Physical

    Beneficial Romantic Mental Meaningful Professional IMPACT OF PHYSICAL LOCATION ON YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE
  9. Capacity Activities Relationships Time Fun Family Money Challenging Friends Physical

    Beneficial Romantic Mental Meaningful Professional IMPACT OF PHYSICAL LOCATION ON YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE
  10. Time (one-way) People (x1,000) % < 10 min 18,565 13.4

    10 - 14 min 19,328 13.9 15 - 19 min 20,775 15.0 20 - 24 min 19,559 14.1 25 - 29 min 8,040 5.8 30 - 34 min 17,874 12.9 35 - 44 min 8,321 6.0 45 - 59 min 9,834 7.1 60 - 89 min 7,160 5.2 90+ min 3,218 2.3 TIME SPENT COMMUTING TO WORK Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey - http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acs-15.pdf
  11. Time (one-way) People (x1,000) % < 10 min 18,565 13.4

    10 - 14 min 19,328 13.9 15 - 19 min 20,775 15.0 20 - 24 min 19,559 14.1 25 - 29 min 8,040 5.8 30 - 34 min 17,874 12.9 35 - 44 min 8,321 6.0 45 - 59 min 9,834 7.1 60 - 89 min 7,160 5.2 90+ min 3,218 2.3 TIME SPENT COMMUTING TO WORK Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey - http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acs-15.pdf 33.5%
  12. LIFE’S TOO short TO SPEND SO MUCH OF IT IN

    BETWEEN THE PLACES YOU TRULY WANT TO BE.
  13. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. And since your energy is a zero sum game, being excellent at these things steals energy from building. You need to expend time and energy on: “ • Preparing precise specs instead of explaining and interacting • Interpreting precise specs instead of questioning and interacting • Writing precise e-mails • Interpreting precise e-mails • Guessing body language and tonality from written communication • Dealing with conference calls and web-based meetings • Building relationships without benefit of breaks and meals • Understanding the human terrain without benefit of gossip and the water cooler • Being noticed and recognized for who you really are by new people • Being included when you’re “out of sight, out of mind” You kinda get the idea. If you can be excellent at these things, great. Otherwise, be prepared to see your work suffer. — edw519
  14. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. “ • Being noticed and recognized for who you really are by new people • Being included when you’re “out of sight, out of mind” — edw519 • Preparing precise specs instead of explaining and interacting • Interpreting precise specs instead of questioning and interacting • Writing precise e-mails • Interpreting precise e-mails • Guessing body language and tonality from written communication • Dealing with conference calls and web-based meetings • Building relationships without benefit of breaks and meals • Understanding the human terrain without benefit of gossip and the water cooler
  15. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. “ • Being noticed and recognized for who you really are by new people • Being included when you’re “out of sight, out of mind” — edw519 • Preparing precise specs instead of explaining and interacting • Interpreting precise specs instead of questioning and interacting • Writing precise e-mails • Interpreting precise e-mails • Guessing body language and tonality from written communication WRONG • Dealing with conference calls and web-based meetings • Building relationships without benefit of breaks and meals • Understanding the human terrain without benefit of gossip and the water cooler
  16. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. “ • Being noticed and recognized for who you really are by new people • Being included when you’re “out of sight, out of mind” — edw519 • Preparing precise specs instead of explaining and interacting • Interpreting precise specs instead of questioning and interacting • Writing precise e-mails • Interpreting precise e-mails • Guessing body language and tonality from written communication WRONG WHAT IS THIS I DON’T EVEN • Dealing with conference calls and web-based meetings • Building relationships without benefit of breaks and meals • Understanding the human terrain without benefit of gossip and the water cooler
  17. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. “ • Being noticed and recognized for who you really are by new people • Being included when you’re “out of sight, out of mind” — edw519 • Preparing precise specs instead of explaining and interacting • Interpreting precise specs instead of questioning and interacting • Writing precise e-mails • Interpreting precise e-mails • Guessing body language and tonality from written communication WRONG WHAT IS THIS I DON’T EVEN • Building relationships without benefit of breaks and meals • Understanding the human terrain without benefit of gossip and the water cooler
  18. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. “ • Being noticed and recognized for who you really are by new people • Being included when you’re “out of sight, out of mind” — edw519 • Preparing precise specs instead of explaining and interacting • Interpreting precise specs instead of questioning and interacting • Writing precise e-mails • Interpreting precise e-mails • Guessing body language and tonality from written communication WRONG WHAT IS THIS I DON’T EVEN POLITICS
  19. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. “ — edw519 • Preparing precise specs instead of explaining and interacting • Interpreting precise specs instead of questioning and interacting • Writing precise e-mails • Interpreting precise e-mails • Guessing body language and tonality from written communication WRONG WHAT IS THIS I DON’T EVEN POLITICS INSECURITY
  20. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. “ — edw519 WRONG WHAT IS THIS I DON’T EVEN POLITICS INSECURITY WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
  21. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. “ — edw519 WRONG WHAT IS THIS I DON’T EVEN POLITICS INSECURITY WRITTEN COMMUNICATION ?!
  22. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent “ — edw519 at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
  23. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent “ at a lot of things that don't matter when you're on site. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION PROGRAMMING IS
  24. The single biggest problem with working remotely is that you

    have to be excellent “ WRITTEN COMMUNICATION PROGRAMMING IS .
  25. JOB SECURITY “ ” is a myth propagated by big

    companies to keep you trapped in an unchallenging and unfulfilling job.
  26. Q. A. What’s it like to always be the smartest

    person in the room? It sucks. It means you’re in the wrong room. Source: http://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-always-be-the-smartest-person-in-the-room/answers/201107