What "Project Hail Mary" Taught Me About Working in Tech (part 1) - Leon Adato

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Pre-Launch Checklist

What follows are some observations and ideas that are inspired by "Project Hail Mary", both the book by Andy Weir and the movie it inspired. If you haven’t read/watched them (and I highly recommend you do!) and you don’t want it spoiled, you should probably stop reading, bookmark this page, and come back later.

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As someone who has worked in I.T for over 30 years, I long ago got comfortable with the idea that part of my job was to be a "lifelong learner" – someone who routinely picks up new skills and information in order to keep working. Most of the time, that learning happens at the shoulder of a colleague, taking a course, watching a video, or reading a blog.

All of which are deeply technical types of content. There might be a Star Trek reference or two, but otherwise high adventure and thrilling plot twists are in short supply. Which is too bad, because it can all get pretty dry.

Maybe that’s why, over the years, I’ve looked for (and found) lessons for I.T. practitioners in more popular forms of media – everything from SpiderMan to The Lord of the Rings. No, you probably won’t discover command-line options for kubctl in the midst of the battle at Helm’s Deep, but in the midst of the banter between Gimli and Legolas you just might find an idea or two to better leverage what you know about kubernetes.

And so, in that same spirit I am sharing some of the I.T lessons I found in the story of Grace and Rocky and their heroic adventure among the stars.

Launch

Never Give Up

If there is one lesson I think IT practitioners can take away from the story of Dr. Ryland Grace (who I’m referring to as "Grace" from this point forward), Rocky and the planets they’re trying to save, it’s that you should NEVER give up. I know that sounds cliche’d and overly simplistic, but it still holds true: In the face of a dying sun, humanity chose to come together and first gather information about the threat, then bring the best and brightest minds to analyze that threat and create a plan that might save everyone. In doing so, false obstacles were removed (like considering a junior high school science teacher to be part of this planet-saving operation). The only thing that mattered was both willingness and competence.

And that theme continued throughout the story. Despite a series of challenges that would overwhelm many of us, the characters in the story chose to believe there was a solution, and continued acting as if there was one, they just didn’t know it yet.

In tech, I think the same attitude serves us well. Whether it’s code that won’t compile, or a cluster that won’t build, or an application interface that users find confusing, there is always a solution. Sometimes it’s hidden; sometimes we need to bring in another expert with a different point of view; and sometimes we need to ask whether the problem is even real, or if it’s a manifestation of our own fear or insecurity.

To elaborate, I want to share an experience from almost 20 years ago:

I’d gone to a week long technical "boot camp" – a program designed to help teach me the skills I needed to pass a certification test. The week culminated in the actual test, for those who felt they were prepared enough.

I was in the room with one other student. The exam was proctored, with an observer in the room to both help in case the technology had a problem and also to ensure there was no cheating. As the test progressed, the other student became increasingly more agitated – grumbling, slamming the keyboard, pacing the room, etc. The proctor gave him a little latitude but at a certain point reminded him that there were test rules that had to be observed.

As the clock ran down, this other person gave up. He said there was no way he was going to pass, and he didn’t want to see his miserable score. He got up and left the room. The proctor went to the testing station and clicked through the remaining questions to force the test to end.

There were 10 questions left. He missed passing by 3 points. The reality was that he could have just randomly guessed at the answers and probably squeaked by.

I will admit to having felt the exact same way during certification exams: the absolute certainty that I’d missed every single question, that it was mathematically impossible to pass. In those moments, memory of that other student has kept my butt in the seat and my head in the game. And in almost every situation, I passed by a much wider margin than I had thought possible.

To come back to "Project Hail Mary", there are times when – like Grace – we’re braver, more resourceful, more capable than we give ourselves credit for. Keep going. Never give up.

Have Someone You Need to Be Brave For

Continuing on that idea of bravery: When it becomes obvious that the mission to Tau Ceti will be a one-way trip, Grace tells mission commander Yáo Li-Jie that he...