For thirty years I programmed with Phish on, every day
3 hours ago
- #Phish
- #Flow State
- #Programming
- The author programmed while listening to Phish for thirty years, with the music deeply intertwined with their work and creativity.
- A TikTok overdub featuring Phish's 'Down With Disease' symbolizes the fan culture of rebuilding pop culture around the band, mirroring the author's own dedication.
- The author's career began early, programming professionally at 15 after being deemed overqualified for a grocery store job, with no other plans beyond Phish and code.
- Phish's long jams and compositions matched the deep focus required for complex programming tasks, facilitating a flow state essential for their best work.
- Recent changes in their work to managing AI agents have disrupted this synergy, as the staccato, multitasking nature of the job no longer aligns with Phish's continuous arcs.
- The loss of this flow state has led to sadness and a sense that the fulfillment and creativity once derived from work are now missing.