Jack Vanlightly

Books are my go-to distraction when submerged in ice baths for a testicle-punishing 10 to 15 minutes. One night, the flavor du jour was The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey. One passage stopped me in my tracks a few pages in: "The player of the inner game comes to value the art of relaxed concentration above all other skills; he discovers the true basis for self-confidence; and he learns that the secret to winning any game lies in not trying too hard." The secret to winning any game lies in not trying too hard. Feeling as though you are trying too hard indicates that your priorities, technique, focus, or mindfulness is off. Take it as a cue to reset, not to double down.

Agentic coding is the most fun I've ever had in my career as an engineer. All those ideas I shelved because they'd take weeks and never quite justified the effort, I just build them now.