Thinking Fast and Fast

I’ve been reflecting on the book "Thinking Fast and Slow" which?I recently read. It is a classic in the self-improvement category and I highly recommend it.

Without spoiling the plot, the book talks about the “System 1”, function in your brain that is responsible for your quick reactions, and “System 2” that is responsible for more calculated responses.

Just the other day I found myself in a situation straight from the book. For the past 3 years I have been working on a system to automate/digitize manual processes and the main driver is the replacement of legacy systems. Success is measured not when a piece of functionality is deployed to production but when old process is turned off (i.e. tail is killed).?When I was pulled into a series of architectural/long term vision meetings with goals stretching to 2-3 year horizons, I experienced a bit of a shock.

Even though we operate within the constraints provided by the architecture team, I have to admit we don't actively push their agenda.?When I sat down with them, the first part of the meeting was spent talking about building highways and how now we have dirt roads, one-way streets, and similar civil engineering concepts. My “System 1” immediately kicked in with “This will never work!”?and I wasn't able to contribute much to the conversation after this. The idea of applying my knowledge and experience to something so hypothetical seemed like a complete waste of time. My brain is trained to solve immediate problems with week, month, quarter tops timeframes.

?Reading this book made me realize that it takes a conscious effort to overcome those built-in behaviors. My friends in architecture after all are doing the right thing: simply in a different way. The results might not be visible for a year or two but having some kind of “north star” architectural blueprint can help align more immediate efforts with other plans. So next time, when we have a chat about turning a bunch of existing systems into a domain driven, highly scalable "superhighway" of factory generated micro services I will be there with my mind focused on the goal of this exercise. Giving a chance for “System 2” to analyze longer term benefits and alternative views is important, and we should train ourselves in this art of listening and overcoming those biases.

?We have a follow up meeting on the very same topic next week. Let's see how it goes...

Note: If you have a book that has made a direct impact on your day-to-day activities at work please do share in the comments.