January 24, 2014 at 13:31

Richard Hamming: how to do a great job

    The translation of this wonderful scientist’s interview can be read here . If you do not have the opportunity / time / desire / ... to do this, I suggest you familiarize yourself with his peculiar digest in the hope that he will encourage you to get acquainted with the full version.

    1. Do meaningful things in this life, don't wait for another
    2. Good luck favors a prepared mind (quote from Louis Pasteur)
    3. Have the courage to believe in yourself, think on your own and move forward
    4. Plant small acorns so that mighty oaks grow out of them (meaning ideas)
    5. People are often the most productive when conditions are poor.
    6. If the problem is not solved, try to look at it from a different angle, turning its disadvantage into an advantage
    7. You have to neglect many things if you intend to do what you want.
    8. Just hard work is not enough; it must be sent reasonably
    9. The right balance of certainty and uncertainty is needed - if you are too sure, you will never notice the flaws; if in doubt, do not budge
    10. You must be emotionally attached to your idea.
    11. If the problem is not solved - do not let the center of attention shift from it, use the subconscious to solve it
    12. If you want to do a great job, ask yourself - what are the important challenges in your industry? What tasks are you working on? If you are not working on an important task, it is unlikely that you will do an important job. This is absolutely clear.
    13. The problem can only be solved if there is an approach, an idea, a way to solve it
    14. One of the main tricks is to live long!
    15. One who works with an open door is interrupted all the time, but from time to time he also receives tips on what the world is and what may be important.
    16. People who work behind closed doors often work harder
    17. It’s not what you do, but how you do it
    18. You should do your work so that others can build on it (your work)
    19. A bad employee who blames his tools; an efficient person takes up work with what he has and gets the best solution that can
    20. It’s not enough to do the job; need to sell it
    21. The effort to make something out of ourselves seems valuable in itself
    22. Learn to work with the system, put it at your service, and not just fight it
    23. Dress accordingly
    24. Laughter - yes, anger - no. Anger is not directed there
    25. You should look at the positive side of things instead of the negative
    26. Look for people who encourage you to think and work.
    27. Before you read about solving a problem, try to solve the problem yourself
    28. Change your area of ​​work every 7-10 years
    29. Management or research? Choose a path, but for God's sake, realize what you have done and what you have decided. Do not try to do one and the other.
    30. Build an environment that matches your ideas

    Go and do a great job!
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