Legibility Is Ruining You
12 hours ago
- #software-processes
- #legibility
- #value-capture
- Companies prefer legible practices over more efficient but illegible ones, as they reinforce assumptions about uniformity and predictability among engineers.
- Common processes like OKRs, code reviews, and coding standards are not values themselves but tools that companies use to shape employee behavior towards legible metrics.
- Legible processes convert rich, multifaceted values into single metrics, such as NPS for customer happiness or velocity for team performance, often conflating the two.
- Value capture occurs when simplified, quantified versions of complex values dominate reasoning, changing behavior to fit top-down assumptions.
- Thin rules (algorithmic, unambiguous) are favored over thick rules (guiding principles), leading to worse software and insensitivity to real values.
- Individuals can choose to resist value capture by legible processes, prioritizing essential, illegible work that benefits the company beyond simple metrics.