Carpenters and Cartographers
summary
Argues two concrete cognitive modes — carpenter mindset and cartographer mindset — and claims the right order matters: first map the domain by discovering abstractions (use laws from category theory and monads to detect and compose structures), then implement. Shows metaphors and craft talk hide reality and create attachment to tools; shows that mapping first reduces costly rewrites and yields implementable designs that actually work.
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chapters (16)
- 0:00Intro
- 0:47What is it WE DO as software developers ?
- 2:14Stacking layer upon layer of ABSTRACTION is the only way we have to cope with that tremendous COMPLEXITY
- 2:44Abstractions make complex things SIMPLER but mastering new ones is often DIFFICULT
- 2:58Sometimes a good METAPHOR is worth a thousand words
- 3:18Numbers are a difficult ABSTRACTION Children often count using their fingers as a METAPHOR
- 4:37There are PROBLEMS with METAPHORS
- 5:12UNLAWFUL
- 5:34PERSISTENT
- 6:48The CARPENTER sees his activity as CREATIVE
- 7:41METAPHORS are only good when they help us to grasp new ABSTRACTIONS which are THE REAL STUFF
- 7:59UNIVERSAL
- 8:16PERMANENT
- 9:20The CARTOGRAPHER considers his job to be one of DISCOVERY He searches for the abstractions that are hidden behind the business requirements
- 9:45The Carpenter PROJECTS order onto complexity The Cartographer EXTRACTS abstractions from complexity
- 10:18CARTOGRAPHY BEFORE CARPENTRY
