The Sunk Cost Fallacy, Hacking School WiFi, and Cat Astigmatism

Fast hiring, gentle parenting, and when to dig up to get out

Some weeks, my brain is full of grand insights. Other weeks, it’s just a chaotic swirl of hiring frustrations, parenting regrets, and wondering if my cat is legally blind. Not sure which one y'all like more,but here's another week of that chaotic swirl... Let’s get into it.

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Maybe Some Animals Have Crappy Eyes (Like Me)

You know those animals that are just terrified of everything? The cat that sprints under the couch the moment someone breathes too hard (looking at you, Pablo). The dog that barks at its own reflection. What if they’re not scared, but are just blind as hell? What if Pablo just needs cat glasses (I swear I’m not high).

Hiring Managers, Move Your Asses.

Not that I'm the greatest applicant ever, but I have had to withdraw from the hiring process a few times because another company moved faster with an offer. I’ve also been on the hiring side and lost great candidates because the approval chain took too long. This isn't a luxury market; people need jobs, and companies need people. Move fast or lose out. If you want to avoid losing great candidates, build speed into your hiring process. Get decision-makers aligned upfront, set clear timelines, and don’t sit on an offer like it’s a collector’s item.

The Harder I Come Down on My Kids, The Worse It Gets

Every time I get too harsh, everything spirals. More pushback, more meltdowns. But when I (or, more accurately, my wife) are able to beat some perspective into me and come at things with more patience, things get better. Parenting is just one long lesson in trying not to screw up your kids. What seems to work better? More patience, more listening, and remembering that ‘discipline’ and ‘punishment’ aren’t the same thing.

A Tool Used Long Enough Develops a Soul

I just finished The Expanse book series (yes, I’m sad about it), and there was a quote in the last book that kind of stuck: if you use a tool long enough and well enough, it develops a kind of soul. That’s true for well-worn tools, cars, and even favorite pens. But software and technology? Feels like we rarely get attached to it the same way. Maybe because it’s always changing, or maybe because it’s designed to be disposable.

Simpler > Fancier

Which leads me to another thought... Sometimes, the best tools are the simplest. A plain old text editor over a fancy, feature-bloated app. Everything these days is over complicated, but good design doesn’t always mean more. Sometimes, less is exactly what we need.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy Will Ruin You

We all do it - stay in bad jobs, keep pushing to get a project "finished" even though you aren’t liking where it’s going, sticking with investments just because we’ve already sunk time and energy into them. But the deeper you dig, the worse it gets. If something feels off, step away for a bit, and ask yourself, “if I were starting today, would I still choose this?” If the answer is no, you probably know what you need to do.

AI’s Diversity Problem is Really Bad

You know those intro images I use? Go ahead and scroll back up. Yeah, that one. Well, surprise surprise, they are mostly AI-made. And no, I’m not typing in “white man", I’m using words like “leader” or “dad.” And guess what AI gives me? White guys... That’s pretty fuckin’ gross. AI reflects the biases of the data it’s trained on, and right now, that data is failing hard. We need more diverse training sets, better oversight, and more awareness around these issues. Question your AI helper(s). Challenge it. Don’t let bias be the default.

Hackers vs. Blockers: The Eternal Battle

The whole cybersecurity arms race is like Spy vs. Spy (yeah, I’m dating myself). Hackers break in, companies patch it up. Companies set new security standards, people find new ways to break them. Repeat forever and ever and ever. My kids are playing the same game; except instead of hacking into bank servers, they’re breaking through content restrictions at school, and honestly, I kind of respect it.

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Alright, there's some more bits for you. I feel like these are getting a bit easier to write (NOT THAT YOU CARE). Ever rage-quit a project mid-way? Know of any cat optometrists? Catometrists?

Hiding under the couch with my cat,

//Trevor

P.S. When I’m not debating cat optometry, I help companies build better workplaces. More here: //TREVORFRY.TECH

P.P.S.: Remember a few posts back when I talked about building a community space for leaders, techies, and tech-adjacent roles to collaborate and chat? Well, it’s happening! If you’re in tech (or tech-adjacent) and want a space to swap ideas, vent, and actually connect, let me know. It’s in invite-only beta, and I’d love to have some more people in the mix.