With the timeline spanning since 2006 until now (with a few deaths on the way, both real and metaphorical), it seems that the time I have been spending (actively and not so actively) is being rewarded.

My current work is a mix of research into composable systems that are based on Markov chains. The end goal is to simulate and model the behaviour of these systems, especially in terms of rewards and costs (or any other metrics that are perhaps much more interesting than typical money and time).

The key is to validate models so that they perform better than a human (or a bunch of them - talking of waste here!) with a simplistic Excel spreadsheet or some other typical project management tools that will no longer work.

Of course, I have many reasons why I chose this route. The main one is that using simple Excel (or Gantt charts) is naive. It gives wrong results for any processes that exhibit a bit more complex behaviours than a simple sequence of actions/events. This has serious consequences that lead to a lot of waste and inefficiency in the world of work, which then translates into unhappy people, most of the time, people who are doing the work.

This is to counteract some outdated and naive approaches that still exist and perhaps belong to the nineteenth century. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Gantt - the news for you is that some of the stuff that used to work in a factory setting will no longer do when it comes to knowledge work.

I am not saying that everything from the areas of scientific management is not useful. As always, the context matters, and so do the humans who do the actual work - and the focus of my work is those people: the ones who do the actual work and not just float and coast around and benefit from someone else’s hard work. I have heard the term “passengers” and I think it’s quite fitting, but more in a “stowaway” sense.

So far, it has not been an easy journey, but for now I can say I am grateful for all the support I have received along the way. Thank you and watch this space if you’re interested, of course!

Last modified on 2024-02-24