The Paradox of Software: Science, Engineering, and Magic

The Engineering-Science Contradiction

Software development exists in a paradox - practiced by "engineers" yet taught as "computer science." This tension creates a unique magic that drives innovation.

Unlike physics or biology which study what we don't fully understand, software exists in a universe of our own making. Yet discovery remains central to its practice.

Vision and Engineering: A Two-Way Street

The relationship between vision and engineering in software isn't linear but bidirectional - like a sports team that adapts strategy based on what it learns during play.

Color Cycling: Innovation Through Understanding

Early computer animations weren't created through traditional rendering but by exploiting indexed color systems - an innovation born from deep understanding of the tools.

Beyond Black Boxes

Engineers engage with abstraction layers in two ways: as shorthand for understanding or as black boxes. When we only see black boxes, vision becomes limited.

Deep understanding of tools correlates with quality and creativity of output. We can only create when we truly understand what we have to create with.

Organizations as Software Systems

Engineering organizations face similar challenges. Whether hierarchical or autonomous, most organizational models assume a unidirectional relationship between vision and engineering.

Teams siloed into black boxes struggle with innovation - like the hypothetical Skype that couldn't adapt to mobile because no team could see the whole picture.

Challenging Current "Best Practices"

Many organizational practices at successful tech companies evolved under minimal selective pressure due to "near-invincible business models."

The Path Forward

The qualities of good engineering and good organizations align: both start with deep understanding as the foundation for innovation.

The magic happens when insight into how something works sparks entirely new ideas about what it could become.