2023-09-12

I’m actually nervous this morning. I haven’t felt this way in a long time. It’s like that feeling I used to get in high school on the day of the exam. A sort of apprehension that something big is going to happen but also a quiet resolve that the work is done and there’s nothing left to do. There’s no amount of last minute cramming that is going to change anything now.

Today I’m going to take my first flight aboard a private jet. Which is incredibly exciting. And I’m not going to lie, I didn’t think was ever going to happen in my lifetime. When I started working for aircraft manufacturers I thought I might at least get near some aircraft. But the sad truth is, when you’re just the computer guy, no one really wants around the planes. The closest I ever got was the Boeing factory tour with a bunch of tourists.

However, my own personal taxi in the sky is being overshadowed by the mother-of-all interviews, even if it is by proxy. I know that there is little to no expectation of me talking during the actual business meeting. Heck, given the clown show that the thing has turned into with 20 or so execs on both sides, I’ll be a little surprised if I even get into the room anymore.

I’ve seen the boss in sales mode once or twice before and it’s something phenomenal to behold. It’s unworldly. Sort of like seeing a tiger on the hunt in the jungle. There’s an elegance in watching a pure hunter in motion. I have no doubt, that sort of personality has a place in business and especially in closing deals. But it’s so alien and abstract from my usual interactions I can’t help but recognize the talent and be in awe.

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2023-09-11

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2023-09-13

What distinguishes you from other developers?

I've built data pipelines across 3 continents at petabyte scales, for over 15 years. But the data doesn't matter if we don't solve the human problems first - an AI solution that nobody uses is worthless.

Are the robots going to kill us all?

Not any time soon. At least not in the way that you've got imagined thanks to the Terminator movies. Sure somebody with a DARPA grant is always going to strap a knife/gun/flamethrower on the side of a robot - but just like in Dr.Who - right now, that robot will struggle to even get out of the room, let alone up some stairs.

But AI is going to steal my job, right?

A year ago, the whole world was convinced that AI was going to steal their job. Now, the reality is that most people are thinking 'I wish this POC at work would go a bit faster to scan these PDFs'.

When am I going to get my self-driving car?

Humans are complicated. If we invented driving today - there's NO WAY IN HELL we'd let humans do it. They get distracted. They text their friends. They drink. They make mistakes. But the reality is, all of our streets, cities (and even legal systems) have been built around these limitations. It would be surprisingly easy to build self-driving cars if there were no humans on the road. But today no one wants to take liability. If a self-driving company kills someone, who's responsible? The manufacturer? The insurance company? The software developer?