[neilv]

Something I've wondered that's maybe related: How many people "feel" systems?

Like, if you're designing, building, or managing a large and complex system, and there are concerns in different aspects of it, and you have maybe a kind of emotional coprocessor about it, e.g., keeping track of all the parts that bother you, and how much they bother you? (Also, parts that you like.)

I'm pretty sure that not all people have nearly the same capacity for this, but I don't know the distribution.

[1dom]

I relate to this quite a lot, and I've met a few different people over my career that I feel have the same gut intuition or instinct for systems.

You know almost instantly when you meet them in the field, often within a few sentences. It's really eye opening moving between areas of high and low densities people like this.

I did used to think it was normal and common but I've definitely come to doubt that as I've got older. I think it's been a hindrance at times though, particularly in some business environments that aren't producing systems that feel nice. Although there's a certain satisfaction and special sense of achievement in making an unhappy feeling system do amazing things.

[neilv]

> You know almost instantly when you meet them in the field, often within a few sentences.

Exactly. But don't let the interview people know that, or it will become another ritual that everyone checkboxes and fakes. :)

[gwbas1c]

About half of my time spent coding is making the code "feel good."

It's really important, too. That's how the code becomes maintainable for the next person.

[derivagral]

> "feel" systems

I used to play a tcg a bit too seriously, and sometimes seeing incorrect game states would trigger something. Part of tracking game states and derivations I guess. Only sometimes helpful in software.

[leksak]

Decidedly relatable to me to the point where I have a custom field on our ClickUps called ” Pain ” at my work