Learning to discover

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DRAFT

This is a text I’ve been wanting to write for a long time. Yet, it’s name is new.

Why? When I started out, I understood the value I provided tightly coupled to where I’d put in effort. I had an education. Based on that education, someone was willing to pay me for showing up each day.

We value effort. We see someone putting in an effort, and someone else not caring. We want to work with people who put in effort. Those working relationships are the most rewarding.

Yet … something is not quite right. What makes that effort valuable? Where’s the value in context?

Effort is a Proof of Work. It’s known sacrifice. Yet, it’s not proof of value. It’s not value in context.

Aiming for value in context requires suspending the measurement of effort. Instead, we aim to measure effect. We measure outcome.

In the product management community, this is repeated endlessly I don’t disagree that outcome is important. Not at all. But whose outcome? The product manager’s? What about good design work? What about good software development? How will designers and software developers know that they are contributing to something great, something worthwhile? I don’t believe in reducing everything to product outcome.

TODO write the rest?

• “Learning to discover”
  • Create a path from “here’s a skill I can provide” to “I’m orienting myself to provide value in a sustainable pace”
  • Make that path continuous, not discrete. No jumps.
  • I want to empathize that the end game is a model that works for individuals and the whole. In areas where outcome is easy to measure, and in areas where outcome is hard to measure over a short term.
  • I value project management.
  • I value discovery & exploration. For individuals and for teams.
  • I value design skills, software skills.
  • I value WIP management.
  • I value quality.

Why the title? Because the journey from effort emphasis to sustainable value emphasis is a journey towards discovery. Discovery of the self, discovery of the team, discovery of skills, and discovery of the subject matter.

Related: Support, challenge, carry.