discipline – Spicy Cajun Software

I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.

Patrick September 2, 2012June 3, 2021processdiscipline, growth, learning

When’s the last time you admitted to being wrong? That’s the last time you learned something. And it was probably an important lesson. Much of what we stuff into our memories throughout our life is assumption. Other stuff applies at one time, but likely doesn’t apply now. Insisting we “know” something is usually just clinging to our assumptions. And as my father told me: you know what happens when you assume, right? Other times, insisting we are right is also pretty much … Continue reading “I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.”

“If You Don’t Transform, You’re Stuck”

Patrick May 23, 2012June 3, 2021processdiscipline

How have you transformed to adapt to the changing world? I had the fortune of hearing Xerox CEO Ursula Burns in an NPR interview this morning: “If You Don’t Transform, You’re Stuck.” Burns saved Xerox from failure and irrelevance by transforming the company. Not only is Xerox surviving, it’s thriving. Xerox is an example of what applies to every company, ever: “what got you here won’t get you there.” That is to say, the things that brought you (and your company) … Continue reading ““If You Don’t Transform, You’re Stuck””

Google+ and fear of failure

Patrick June 30, 2011June 3, 2021Asideprocessdiscipline

I’ve only spent 5 minutes with it, so I can’t speak to how strong of a social networking offering Google+ is. But I can say: what impresses me most is that Google is publicly proving that they are not afraid of failure. How many attempts has “the Goog” made at social networking? Wave, Buzz and Orkut, at least. And those are the ones that were released publicly. Google Wave came and went pretty recently; they didn’t wait to try again. … Continue reading “Google+ and fear of failure”

You can’t spend your way out of technical debt

Patrick October 11, 2009processdiscipline

There is an axiom of personal finance that states “You cannot spend your way out of debt.” While seemingly trite at first, it holds a truth that becomes apparent in nuance. It becomes a mantra for those seeking a quick-fix to major financial problems: there is a more fundamental axiom stating “You didn’t get into debt overnight; nor will you get out of it overnight.” Germane to these concepts is the idea that a behavior change is needed to go … Continue reading “You can’t spend your way out of technical debt”