Assorted

I saw a poster the other day which said something profound: "Your Attitude Determines Your Destination". In aviation, "attitude" refers to the vertical angle of the plane's body relative to the horizon. If the plane is looking up, it has a positive attitude. If you keep looking up, for the higher opportunities, that has a strong influence in your direction.

***

The present is a result of the past. Your present is a result of the decisions you made or did not make in your past. It's the result of actions you did or did not take in your past. Some of your peers are doctors because of a decision they made in the past, and the actions they took as a consequence of those that decision. You are not a doctor because either you did not make that decision. Perhaps you did not even think about that decision. 

Of course, not everything was in your control. Things happened in your past that were not a direct result of your decisions or actions. You could have lost your job due your employer's bankruptcy. You could have been in an accident that was not your fault. But the important thing to remember is that the present will soon become the past that will have determined your future. So be mindful of the decisions and actions you take today. Be aware of the decisions you are not taking, not even aware of, or not even considered. Be aware of the actions you are not taking.

Explain it to me like I'm 5

CEO: Explain AI to me like I'm 5 years old.

CTO: That's how I always talk to you. 

The Cost of Training

Before:

CFO: What if we train our employees and they leave?

CEO: What if we don't train them, and they stay?

Today:

CEO: What if we train our AI and they leave?

CIO: (And they 'leave'?!?) What if we don't train them, and they stay?

Accountant on a Ship

An accountant was taking a cruise on a luxury ship. Suddenly, she saw another passenger fall overboard. Panicking, the accountant screams: "Help! Help! Someone's fallen over! Someone's fallen over!" 

The ship's second mate hears her and shouts: "Which side did they fall? Port or starboard?" 

Accountant: Port...star...what?!?? (Then frantically points to the left) DEBIT SIDE! DEBIT SIDE! 

User Stories are not requirements

Treating user stories as requirements may not be too different from asking users to estimate how long it takes to do their tasks and using those estimates as your project estimates.

Santayana

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Those who are not aware of the past are condemned to repeat it.

History repeats itself because the past is not the dead past but a mirror (albeit incomplete) of the very much alive present and future.

Battle Success vs Project Success

Every battle between armies results in success for one side failure for one side. There is a winner and there is a loser (ignoring ties). That means 50% of battles are a success, and 50% of battles are failures. 

In contrast, 60-70% of projects fail (according to popularised stats). 

In other words, armies do better at succeeding against obstacles that ACTIVELY aim to LITERALLY devastate and rip them apart, than projects do against the comparatively passive triple constraints.   

(I know there's fatal flaws in this argument, but still).