Engineers are hired for the speed of their thought, but they are often limited by the speed of their machines. While “Shadow Work” deals with human-induced interruptions, Tooling Friction deals with the mechanical “micro-leaks” that force a brain to disengage. The Problem: The “Cold…

Engineers are hired to execute a prioritised roadmap, but they are often diverted by “unofficial” requests that arrive through the back door. While the “Alignment Trap” (Article 3) handles the weight of official meetings, Shadow Workdeals with the invisible drain of the “quick…

Engineers are hired to build solutions, but they are often stuck in a state of “perpetual permission.” While the “Notification Tax” (Article 2) deals with individual pings, the Alignment Trap deals with the collective drag of unnecessary consensus. The Problem: Human Checksums In data…

Engineers are hired for their ability to solve complex problems, yet they are often managed as if they are operating a live chat support desk. While the “Calendar Holes” from Article 1 deal with scheduled interruptions, the Notification Taxdeals with the unscheduled ones:…

A massive blind spot exists in how productivity is measured. While “Velocity” and “Story Points” are tracked, the Environment Overhead is completely ignored. Engineers are treated like CPUs that can context-switch with zero cost, but humans are not silicon. A “Cold Start”…

Engineers are hired for their logic, and then that logic is interrupted all day by 15-minute meetings and “quick” Slack pings. It is as if a Ferrari has been purchased only to be driven through a crowded parking lot. The horsepower is…