0:06

It takes more than a copious backlog of unread books

0:09

to be a great software engineer. This is episode

0:11

392 of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast. I'm

0:14

your host, Jameson Dance. I'm your host,

0:17

Dave Smith. Soft Skills

0:19

Engineering is a weekly advice show where we

0:21

talk about all of your non-technical problems

0:24

or questions in the technical field

0:26

of software development. I guess

0:28

I didn't even specify that there are software engineering related

0:30

books in the intro.

0:33

They could be. They could not be too.

0:35

Do you have a copious backlog of unread books?

0:39

I do have a couple of books I haven't read. None

0:41

of them are software related. You said

0:43

a couple. Does that mean single digit?

0:46

I've got a backlog right now of

0:49

four books sitting on my nightstand. Oh,

0:51

okay. I thought you said four. Does

0:53

that presumably mean the backlog is longer

0:56

total? Nope. That's the

0:58

whole backlog. Just four. Oh, okay. The

1:01

nightstand is the backlog. I have a

1:03

backlog bookshelf. So a bookshelf.

1:06

I've got a problem. Multiple levels. Yeah.

1:10

So a real backlog. It's too long to ever groom

1:12

it. There's no way you ever get to

1:14

it. And it feels you would despair

1:16

every time you look at it. But it

1:18

makes me feel good to look at it. No, no. It feels

1:20

like it represents something when

1:22

really it's actually just overhead.

1:25

Yeah. So

1:28

I guess like a real backlog. Sure.

1:30

Okay. Well, speaking of backlogs,

1:32

this episode is sponsored by Notion, which

1:36

is the best note-taking app with

1:38

actually useful AI built into it.

1:40

And we'll tell you more about Notion later on in the show.

1:44

We will. Right now we want

1:46

to thank our wonderful patrons. Thank you to

1:48

Chase W. Norton, type here.dev. Never

1:50

is not just a crate on Mars flamingo emoji. I

1:53

like chicken. I like liver. I

1:55

like to deliver trashpanda, the computer science

1:57

book.com. Valentin at DataFold, Santa

1:59

Hope, Arkenzie. Dods, Jenny Kim, Owen

2:01

Shartell, Craig Matlin, TheStochasticParrot, patreon.com,

2:03

we're hiring, Ira Chan.

2:06

One single question mark. Yes. Jonathan

2:09

King, WebTow, all cement and testing,

2:11

the unsettling nature of not knowing

2:13

the content at williamangel.net. Yes.

2:16

Travis, Braden Kainz, John

2:19

Grant, Cody Sale, and Nick Cantor. Thank

2:21

you. We appreciate you all. And

2:24

you help keep the show going. And

2:27

your legion of adoring fans cheers

2:30

every time we say your name. Yes.

2:33

If you want to be adored like them by

2:36

everybody, really, in the world, I

2:38

think, you can go to softskills.audio and

2:40

click support us on Patreon. And any contribution will get

2:42

you an invite to our Slack team. And

2:45

enough, we'll let you join the

2:48

Hall of Heroes, the fabled

2:51

annals of great

2:53

ones. Of great

2:55

Patreon contributors. Yes. And

2:57

in case, before you ask, James, and I just want

3:00

to say, yes, that single

3:02

lonely question mark is indeed

3:05

what the user put into the form. I

3:07

double and triple checked it. They literally typed

3:10

question mark. Yes. I

3:12

thought, surely, surely somewhere between

3:14

a relation database, a JSON

3:16

parsing, my Python code that

3:19

now downloads the data, somewhere,

3:22

you know, between the note taking app

3:24

we use to track the show, somewhere

3:26

someone broke an emoji. No, it was

3:28

a question mark as inputted by the

3:30

user. 90% sure about

3:32

that. Okay.

3:34

Thank you, question mark person. The

3:37

mystery deepens. Yes. Dave,

3:40

do you want to read our first question? Yes. This

3:43

is an anonymous listener who says, we are

3:45

a team of under 10 people who provide

3:47

technical services to other departments of our organization.

3:50

We use a tool that is built by my

3:52

boss to supplement our work, but it is

3:54

crucial for the team to do actual work.

3:57

The Boss maintains it all by themselves and nobody is

3:59

familiar with it. That's good. The by the going

4:01

to retire at a year to nobody wants

4:03

to learn to go to the tool and

4:05

the team can do much without. The boss

4:07

has the are more or less just individual

4:09

contributors reading standalone code and delivering it to

4:11

other teams who asked for it. Only the

4:13

Va at in leadership meetings and the developers

4:15

are completely unaware of the remaining processes that

4:17

happen in the background. Such. As

4:20

communicating with with other departments to bring

4:22

in work and all that business stuff,

4:24

I am afraid the team would break

4:26

apart once the boss retires because nobody

4:29

knows anything on how our team operates

4:31

beyond within. Team. Level except

4:33

for the boss shall I? Just plan

4:35

for the just so it's. A

4:38

fact that. You

4:42

gotta, you've got a those who. Is

4:45

it does sound a lot like

4:47

those ancient Egyptian pharaohs who die

4:49

in are there like servants Are.

4:52

Killed. And buried with them into her meds.

4:55

Your boss is retiring but.

4:58

To take might all be a daunting when

5:00

adam a city have. You

5:02

can take it. we're Turns out. With

5:05

code and all the secrets, he can

5:08

keep other people from having it as.

5:11

They do say that they say there's so many things you can take

5:13

with you, but. The. Password to my

5:16

password Managers going with me. If

5:18

if, if, if if it's already going to be able to log

5:20

into my retirement accounts when I die. Been

5:23

fortunate. As

5:26

the modern Pyramid Yes. I'm

5:28

basically Thera with my last as a

5:30

source. Of

5:36

for him. I. Mean, the

5:38

coating seems less like a problem then

5:40

no one on the team knows. What?

5:44

Is going on like help us to see

5:46

you can? Yeah, like you can learn to

5:48

code. That feels easier then.

5:51

Oh. Others essential stuff that we didn't

5:53

notice happening doesn't happen anymore as

5:55

the second of all stuff. Yeah.

6:01

I think I mean. Sounds.

6:04

Like this can be a power vacuum. Sounds.

6:06

Like you get a step up and be the boss.

6:08

just ask if you can come to the leadership. Meetings

6:10

were yeah. Has. As you're under

6:12

study. And the heir apparent

6:14

to the throne of Sarath. Can.

6:17

I have a shot at you at some of these little Semitic

6:19

so. I'm. Looking at some of

6:21

the phrases in here: the boss attempts

6:23

and leadership meetings, communicating with other departments

6:25

and all that business stuff. They.

6:27

Might not be super interested. Isn't

6:29

assists, assists in taking the bosses

6:31

role as if for all that

6:33

business that sounds boring. Yeah, but

6:35

I mean it. There will be

6:37

an opening so. It's fair

6:40

to ask. I'm. Assuming you've

6:42

asked your boss already and answers like.

6:45

Sounds. Like a good problem for you to

6:47

deal with. His cousin? Retire that sounds like

6:49

a similar problem. Now what a problem that

6:51

I won't be around to deal with it. That's

6:53

gonna be the highlight of your career. Solving

6:55

that problem. Yeah. I

6:59

have this. I have this mental image

7:01

of this tool being some kind of

7:03

command line utility that no one knows

7:05

how it out Hilton or where it

7:08

came from. And your job your secret

7:10

nights and weekends job is to reverse

7:12

engineer how this thing works and rewrite

7:14

it. And then just like

7:17

slowly and surreptitiously replace like place

7:19

siblings on your coworkers computers to

7:21

similar to your version. They don't

7:23

even know it happened. But the

7:25

migration is now complete. Okay. And

7:28

that's how you assume the mantle of the

7:30

boss, Exactly. So. Suddenly. People like

7:32

a the to wasn't quite working right? Yeah, like. I.

7:34

Think I can success? I'm gonna take over

7:36

that code. Turns. Out you won't You

7:39

ran back everybody. Yeah yeah, watch me

7:41

yeah me Done my tape. And.

7:44

Six this. The some

7:46

Elixir monstrosity that know couldn't hurt

7:48

us out. Assess, assess, Assess. know.

7:50

elixir is a cool new language.

7:53

monstrosities don't exist in all right

7:55

yet. What is it? then? Fortran.

7:58

Their properties. Watch.

8:00

Out. I. Have replaced your Cobol. Was

8:04

a. Much newer Cobalt Ninety

8:06

Two. Had

8:08

a newest version of Erm

8:10

assess assess. The

8:12

I'm afraid yeah I guess it. It

8:14

really does depend on if. You're.

8:17

Trying to get someone else to solve

8:19

this problem? See you can continue to

8:21

work as an individual contributor or if

8:23

you are potentially interested in. Changing.

8:25

Your job quite a bit to look

8:27

more like this because. His.

8:30

You are may be interested in the

8:32

job. I think it's it's a lot

8:34

easier to say I see this problem

8:36

coming and. It looks like I've

8:38

got a year to ramp up Awesome

8:41

feels that sounds like. Yeah.

8:43

And and you can tell your boss's boss say

8:45

we're We're going on a succession plan and. Soon

8:48

as my boss about yet cause they

8:50

forgot temporarily temporarily. don't remember that. Success

8:53

and plan? yeah was they will in

8:55

the couple months. Yeah, that's like you're

8:57

bringing them a problem with a solution

8:59

and in their problem is decide if

9:01

they want to in that role and

9:03

and then you can kind of their

9:05

time doing good job Perfect. But if

9:08

you're sorta like. I. Would like

9:10

someone else to solve this for

9:12

me? Then you have to. You

9:14

have to manipulate the chess pieces

9:16

on the board instead of just

9:18

do the thing yourself. One thing

9:20

I really like about the situation

9:22

is that you're actually not directly

9:24

responsible for solving this problem, so

9:26

you can just sit back and

9:28

enjoy watching the chaos and drama

9:30

unfold when this unprepared company faces

9:32

the actual prospect of having someone

9:35

retire who has all these cards

9:37

in their hand that no one

9:39

knows. The haha I mean this will

9:41

be done to watch. I. Think.

9:43

Yeah. Skyn read a book of I mean. There.

9:46

Could be one of the end results of

9:48

this. Could be the whole team goes away

9:51

too though. Say I don't the you're completely

9:53

insulated from. I. Mean rationing and

9:55

brad. Maybe maybe what's happened here

9:57

is your boss has been lying.

10:00

About. Like. Not

10:02

lots of missiles had like your boss

10:04

has been protecting your your team. You

10:06

don't actually do anything valuable for the

10:09

company you don't know where the lookout

10:11

for advice for this post has been

10:13

keeping your haters out of slowing steadily

10:16

for years. And yeah, and it's the

10:18

every once in awhile you wonder how

10:20

come none of our users ever report

10:22

any bugs. You. Have no

10:25

users like your boss is just

10:27

a specific like a putting it

10:29

in a repository and then giving

10:31

status updates and. Convincing the board

10:33

of directors to keep funding your team. Just

10:36

making stuff up. Yeah, oh.

10:39

And. You you feel familiar with the users

10:41

because they've been making them up for so long

10:43

as the boss has always percent of existing characters.

10:45

Yes, yeah, there's probably going to be a novel

10:47

this guy's been writing. As he comes out, you're

10:49

like wait a minute. Some of the people in

10:52

this not i was is my second. successive

10:55

weird. Some. Them gave

10:58

me kudos for doing a good chance. I

11:01

remember jumps Jennifer from The

11:03

Thirteenth Cs. Out

11:06

the nice six you say about my

11:08

by really good. Yeah,

11:13

yeah, I think. I think go

11:15

wonder do I wanna do this job or not?

11:17

And I mean if you don't want to do

11:20

the job, you can kind of raise a flag

11:22

up. The. Oregon? say maybe talks your

11:24

boss of added to say have they.

11:26

Have they prepared a succession plan?

11:29

Then retiring makes it harder because.

11:32

Unlike. A pattern Know I?

11:34

I don't wanna. Assume laziness on

11:36

their part, but if I were never

11:38

going to work again, In in

11:40

a few months. Of

11:43

this stuff I would just not do. Probably

11:45

assess assess I don't. I'm in a singer.

11:47

you can talk to them about it. at

11:49

so busy with the differences and plan. Yeah,

11:53

making sure. Everything's. Button.

11:55

Up. Yeah. You.

11:57

Could talk to them about it and and. Make. That.

12:00

Their job for the rest of their time here

12:02

is make sure there's a transition plan you could

12:04

you could work with. Their. Boss

12:06

to make sure that they're considering it's and

12:08

are these are aware, there's gonna be a

12:10

period of chaos of some kind. But.

12:13

I don't even really six it unless

12:15

you want to start doing some of

12:18

the work that your boss is, making

12:20

people in leadership aware of the impending

12:22

chaos. It will potentially reduce the chaos,

12:24

and I'm saying. You. Have a

12:27

a front row seat to a really cool

12:29

shell. And and on thing

12:31

you do to tamp down the chaos will

12:33

make that show less enjoyable to watch. Yeah

12:35

it's like it's like you're going to a

12:37

firework show and you go and you like.

12:40

Unplug a bunch of the leads

12:42

going to a lot of fair.

12:44

Exactly. Why do that? Why not?

12:46

Why not make the spectacled big

12:48

exactly a cast? Got

12:52

it? Well I think that means we've

12:54

answered the question. Sounds like a sure

12:56

fire way to succeed on the fence

12:58

on what your objective as I guess.

13:01

Yep! Okay, I. Want

13:03

to take a minute Jamison until our listeners

13:06

about the sponsor of this episode which is

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notion. Notion. Is

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a really useful. Note:

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taking up document product management app it's

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army knife. And recently the Notion team

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swiss. You. Know you can do

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some you know node summaries. Really, really handy.

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The. Queue in a piece is especially useful

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because a lot of the Ai integrations are.

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In. In in products across the world are

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sort of like. Sin.

13:44

Rappers around the model.

13:46

And. This lets you put your

13:48

own knowledge into it. So yeah, instead

13:50

of asking it. What? Is

13:52

your opinion on. Oh man. i

13:56

brain isn't working what is your opinion

13:58

on jamison brain networks and then it'll

14:00

hallucinate something. Because you've written a ton

14:02

of notes in your Notion workspace about

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Jameson's brain and how frustrating it is

14:07

to you that it doesn't work, it

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can use that to create and

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retrieve better answers for you. Perfect. And

14:15

I think if I'm not mistaken, these

14:18

answers can be sourced from across your workspace

14:21

from public notes and meeting notes and things

14:23

like that and other docs, your Wiki. So

14:26

very, very handy. I

14:29

actually don't know of another corporate

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mode Q&A with

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the new large language model stuff that's been happening

14:36

where you can actually ask questions about your own

14:38

company's documents. That's pretty cool. It's

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also, I mean, if you use a

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tool like this for long enough, you get a lot of

14:44

content in it and it can be a ton of work

14:47

to manually curate it. So being able to ask

14:50

questions that don't depend on

14:52

someone carefully structuring the

14:55

information architecture, that's pretty

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powerful to be able to keep finding stuff. Well,

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You support our show as well and

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make them give us nice good boy headpats when

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you do that. I

15:23

love those headpats. Yeah. The

15:26

best. All

15:29

right. Shall we read our next question? Yes.

15:32

I believe you are holding the conch for this one. All

15:34

right. I promise not

15:37

to abuse my power. Okay. Famous

15:39

last words. This

15:41

is from a listener named Max Lattimore who

15:44

says, it's annual review

15:46

season when choosing reviewers, do I

15:48

A, choose the reviewers that

15:50

will make me look the best or B, wait,

15:52

two. They used A and then

15:55

two. Or

15:57

Two, choose the reviewers who might actually give

15:59

me actionable fee. That if it helps, I'm

16:01

on very good terms of my boss and

16:03

their boss as well as most of the

16:05

see sweet and there's no way that I

16:07

either get a promotion or fired in this

16:09

review cycle. I. Has been a top

16:12

performer in previous or recycles but I

16:14

expect that I won't be are viewed

16:16

so highly this time around or at.

16:18

And like I'm in middle of the back. It's

16:23

not what you are. The answer. The question and answer is.

16:25

it doesn't matter. You're not

16:27

going to get across knock and you're fired. You.

16:29

Been a top performing on periods. I

16:31

like other know so choose reviewers that

16:33

are most likely to. Get.

16:35

You a rating of meets expectations.

16:39

That's where you're headed already. Yeah. This

16:41

is an interesting. Dimension.

16:43

On the. Bridge.

16:45

You cycle performance review process where you

16:47

pick your own or viewers and it

16:49

sounds like what they say has some

16:52

kind of weight separate from your managers.

16:54

Wait. So then there's this. like. Extra

16:56

Layer a strategy around it. Which.

17:01

Like. All things can result in

17:03

negative behavior says the tracking has tried

17:05

play the game correctly so I think

17:07

the intention is you know who you

17:10

work with the closest or who might

17:12

have the best feedback and so clearly

17:14

pick those people. But. Maybe.

17:17

They're going to tell you stuff that will make

17:19

you look bad. And I think

17:21

if it was if it were me. I

17:23

would take their viewers who might

17:25

give me actually actionable feedback. Specially.

17:28

If I wasn't worried. That. There

17:30

is gonna be some negative consequence from

17:33

it is presumably you know these coworkers

17:35

well enough to know they're not gonna

17:37

say like stop stealing like you do

17:39

all the science and the company. Ssssss.

17:43

I. Guess it's gonna be useful. Things to improve:

17:45

Not like outing you as a horrible fraud.

17:47

Once you get about that, I'm like okay,

17:50

let's say you're you know your middle of

17:52

the pack. I'm not going to get a

17:54

huge promotion. Also, not going to get fired

17:56

and your boss is it near gone? Okay

17:58

wow, every reviewer game a time. Constructive

18:00

criticism? Do you? None of my other reviewers

18:02

did as they all just gave nothing but

18:04

praise or you got all this constructive criticism.

18:06

I mean I was gonna give you just

18:08

the meets expectations but at the gonna put

18:10

you on a performance plan. Moon.

18:14

I. Don't think that's possible is your

18:16

boss knows you? Yeah this of their

18:18

on good terms with their boss. Their

18:21

boss's boss. Maybe. Maybe that

18:23

could be a potential outcome in some cases,

18:25

but it doesn't seem like the years cause

18:27

they have the context. Have

18:29

you found Jamison? The people are more

18:32

likely to give real valuable feedback to

18:34

your boss. Or. Just directly

18:36

to you outside the concept or

18:38

out of context of a performance

18:40

of you are definitely to my

18:42

boss of really as as a

18:44

yeah I found it kind of

18:46

rare that. Well. Am.

18:48

I in, I'm checking this as I said. Yes,

18:52

I think I think I just works have

18:54

worked either. I'm so terrifying the no one

18:56

wants to give me constructive feedback face to

18:58

face. He which is Devlin, my tears are

19:00

all just. I mean I cowards a specific.

19:04

Zippy or my wrath. Maybe

19:07

I remember one time this has been a

19:09

long long time so I feel comfortable talking

19:11

about it but I i sat down for

19:13

my performance from you with my boss and

19:15

he says to me well they we were

19:17

gonna give you an ex percent raise this

19:19

year but we got some negative feedback for

19:21

from someone about use of are going to

19:23

docket a few percent. And. He then

19:26

he shared the feedback with me and the name of

19:28

the person who gave it an ivory by but it

19:30

it I was like that's. That's. Not

19:32

true. And. He was

19:34

like oh okay. Well. I

19:36

guess have a nice day like I suspect. Sorry

19:38

I. Find that feminized

19:40

assistant professor a famous know what to do that

19:43

and the did you did you still get the

19:45

razor not not got to say I got the

19:47

reduce re like they really liked me other industry

19:49

alec he told me they'd your argument meant nothing

19:52

yeah exactly It's like know I mean as we

19:54

said as long time dame some like by the

19:56

time you show up at the day when your

19:58

boss of giving you. The performance review any

20:01

the any concept of raise or negotiation.

20:03

know that that you missed the boat

20:05

like months ago for that if you

20:07

wanted to make a case. And.

20:09

Death is where I learned that. But

20:13

it it reinforces your point that people are willing to

20:15

go to your boss and say things even if it's

20:17

like that's not really. How that went

20:20

down? Yeah, but they're

20:22

really to say negative things your boss and it's

20:24

It's actually one of the great illogical parts of

20:26

being a human is that we're willing to say

20:28

things to. People. About

20:30

other people. Even knowing

20:32

that those other people are going to find out

20:35

that we said it. Again,

20:37

or it's almost the, It's like just one

20:40

layer of indirection in the moment of sharing

20:42

the information. But. Otherwise, it's exactly the

20:44

same as saying into someone's face. Yeah.

20:48

I. Choose to interpret that as. My

20:50

answer to the question being correct I agree

20:52

as that's that is the point I was

20:55

trying to make. Oh cool as guessing. Africa,

21:00

Yeah so. I kind of recruited

21:02

him as I think if you want this

21:04

is a good opportunity for you to get

21:06

a bunch of unfiltered feedback the you might

21:08

not be able to get in normal circumstances.

21:10

In fact, if you want to really take

21:12

it all the way, I would go to

21:14

my boss and say hey, listen, there's a

21:16

fuse Very specific things I want to get

21:18

hear for my peers like hey, do you

21:20

find my behavior and code reviews to be

21:22

conducive to a good team environment and really

21:24

productive? You know, like gimme your feedback on

21:26

that or Edu like the way that I

21:28

indent my java code Again, feedback on that

21:30

against the people won't say to your face,

21:32

necessarily. you might be able to get it.

21:34

Yeah, Yeah. Yeah I mean.

21:37

Direct. Feedback Constructive feedback

21:40

from peers is is.

21:42

Hard. To come by Go. I

21:45

feel like I'm I'm kind of.

21:47

And of at a principal. The thing I am

21:49

thinking about. When. Picking

21:52

this answer the question is is like. I.

21:54

Want us as much as I can get it because I never get

21:57

it so he says way I can get more of it and it

21:59

isn't gonna it. The horribly painful than

22:01

awesome i will do allergies that

22:03

thing. Yeah, that's.

22:05

Kind of my readers situation. You can get

22:07

more. Directs. Helpful.

22:10

Feedback and it's not gonna be. Painful.

22:13

Yeah, you can do the Cdr gerrymandering

22:15

next year when you're up for promotion.

22:17

and then Omaha. Alexa. Really, you know

22:19

that the gushing phrase people. Who.

22:22

Uses yeah this is kind of like what you're getting

22:24

was talking to your boss about as well, but you

22:26

can't. You can point out your boss you're making this

22:28

decision to to say hey I'm I'm choosing. To.

22:31

Ask for. Things. I

22:33

can improve on and I I hope

22:35

that there will be things over maybe

22:37

just getting like a bland positive. Good

22:40

job. Type. Of to review from

22:42

somebody. So. They can kind of calibrate when

22:44

they see it come through. Yeah, Yeah. That's

22:46

a good idea. Gonna help. Mitigate.

22:49

Some other risk. You. Not

22:51

going to somebody, I bought it. You put it

22:53

in the context of of what you're trying to

22:55

do and so they don't have to just see

22:57

and say oh there are three negative things here

23:00

and there's your negative things anybody else is so

23:02

yeah. So you get with a lot of negativity

23:04

things. Yes yes that's one you many negative comments

23:06

here in the center of. Yes, we had a

23:09

threshold decided to in our hr yes them and

23:11

you just trips it. Apologia.

23:14

Yeah. I I think that makes a lot

23:16

of sense and and who knows you'll you'll probably

23:19

actually sell very well for doing this. And he

23:21

I'd you might be tempted to say to your

23:23

boss a listen. I know I don't really feel

23:25

like I'm at a risk of being fired, but

23:28

I also don't feel like I'm gonna get a

23:30

super strongly positive reviews on going to take this

23:32

opportunity to gather honest, constructive criticism from my beers

23:34

for this round. You

23:36

maybe don't have to go that extreme but you

23:38

could say like. To. Your boss. He really

23:40

I want to get. Very. Specific actionable

23:43

feedback this time will you Partner Met with

23:45

me on this attack that prepared five or

23:47

six questions that in addition to whatever you

23:49

already asked. I'd like you to ask them

23:51

and try to get really concrete feedback from

23:53

them. Just and tell them I don't pull

23:56

any punches. Don't hold anything back. I just

23:58

want to know. and i I

24:00

think managers love it when you

24:02

give them permission to be

24:05

fully honest and transparent with you

24:07

because not every leader is willing

24:11

like so many of Jamison's cowardly peers. There

24:14

are also cowardly

24:18

managers who just don't want to hurt your feelings.

24:20

Yeah, I know because sometimes I am

24:23

one of those. Yeah.

24:25

Most of us are, most of the time. Yeah, that's

24:27

fair. And I'm glad for it because it would suck to

24:29

live in a world of fully transparent,

24:31

viciously honest, brutal

24:34

people all the time, you know? Yeah.

24:37

Yeah, we need our tiny fragile

24:39

egos couldn't take it. Yeah, exactly. Not

24:41

everyone can live in New York City all the time. That's

24:45

my little jab at the east coast. You

24:49

leave the taxi, you give them a

24:51

withering performance review. Yes, one

24:53

star. Yeah. Did

24:56

not dodge pothole to

24:59

your face. Are you going

25:01

to write that in the app? No, there's an app. I'm just

25:03

telling you one star. All right.

25:09

Well, have we answered the question? I think so. Good

25:11

luck. This will be an exciting opportunity to

25:14

confront reality in a more visceral way

25:17

than you have in the past. And I laud you for

25:19

it. Yeah. Yeah. I

25:22

do the thing Dave said he does too. What is that? What

25:25

is that? Yes. I do

25:27

that. I laud. I laud so

25:29

much. Usually

25:36

you're the one busting out the obscure vocabulary

25:38

words from the reader. Well, I did. Didn't

25:42

you hear how much I just lauded? Clearly,

25:46

I went up to you. You

25:49

lauded so much. Even more

25:51

than Dave did. That's what I want you to take

25:53

away. However many lauds you got, you

25:55

got more from me. All

25:57

right. What can people do?

26:00

they want their own questions answered. I

26:24

would actually say we we laud your

26:26

stories. Yeah, that is accurate. Thank

26:29

you for listening. We will catch you next week.