I started as a “programmer” for a similar sized company, we’ve 2.5x and I’m the CTO now.

I can share a great deal of input if you would like to chat sometime, message me/I’ll make a point to check tomorrow.

Quick notes * projects that add structure to data, but remain flexible to manual overrides are the most successful + fit logistics.

* full automation is almost never possible. You can automate PIECES of the puzzle, but focus on building software for humans.

* Broadly skilled technical jackrabbits are what you want. Fullstack Developer with great data modeling skills/dangerous with SQL (can DBA, can optimize queries, designing for future analysts)

If you can find a unicorn, that wants to be a #1 and take on the challenge - grab and grow organically. Don’t throw bodies and money at it.

Let them learn the business/bring them to meet everyone and see their processes and - if he’s good - he’ll find small improvements on existing systems/processes that help stabilize the sanity while he continies noodling the big picture.

The big picture will take time / start small and see if you like the results before going two feet in and handing over operations to them.

Attracting talent is easy for #1 show them the size of the company and potential opportunity.

The right person has a long-view in mind and so long as they’re successful, keep them happy and the rest takes care of itself.

Hard to leave an institution like that

I don't think a magic number is the right solution here.

I do. There’s an age minimum for presidents

Presidents should be held to similar health and psychological requirements as astronauts. The role/responsibilities require the same level of performance.

When I integrate systems, I use that system's natural key (love it when it's a unique ID, but in the systems I work in - it almost never is).

That said, I use that natural key as the "link" to my internally managed, normalized database.

There's nothing that says I cannot add unique identifiers that would replicate the natural key. In fact, that's good design.

This assumes useful tests.

There's a false equivalency drawn between writing tests means you wrote good code. In reality, those who can write good tests can also write good code.

My rules of thumb: "Be a goldfish" - Forget everything you know about your project, is it complicated, non-intuitive? Tests + clear documentation.

But don't test for stupid stuff.

AI's already generate+test the stupid stuff for us anyway ... why are we writing it

Exactly this. Most of the tests reimplement the implementation using mocks. Such tests are useless, as they always prove the code is correct. Worse, such tests make refactoring much slower. On a low level, only black-box interface tests make sense, and on a high level, use scenario testing. The implementation has to be tested indirectly, otherwise, it leaks.

Bingo. Pure, unadulterated ego

I think "cool" is synonymous with, "would they be a good fit for your team/culture" ... not a specific type/race/ethnicity/political persuasion...

Are they someone that's going to disrupt your team's focus on product and execution. No? Cool.

Smart, foolish, arrogant.

Officers handled it well.

Create a progressive tax on multiple homes. Increase tax on corporate owners.

There

Even better: a very high tax on the assessed unimproved land value of all privately owned land. This removes the ability to speculate on real estate entirely, which, if you think about it, maybe shouldn't be allowed in the first place, since it is the only good that has a truly fixed supply. This would cause real estate prices to plummet, then remain relatively stable. Obviously you couldn't just do it starting from nothing, but in the long run it would solve housing scarcity, as well as drastically reducing rent seeking behavior, without draconian measures or ending the free market.

This idea is called Georgism, and it's not new. It was also supported by several economists, including Milton Friedman.

I had to read this several times and... this is a great solution.

As taxes, these are a negative incentive for hoarding housing stock and increase gov't revenues to (potentially at least) help to house seniors.

also tie tax bracket to rent above a reasonable AMT like 10 percent at 1k, 20 percent at 2k, 35 percent at 3k, 60 percent at 4k, I mean different size rentals will have a different formula, just for examples sake.

Talent <> value to the company.

We sadly let someone walk because while they were SUPER talented, they weren’t working effectively on things that mattered

There is some barrier to entry.

My friend, a much less skilled developer, was much better at the craft of SO. I just lurk/solve my own issues