When people say “I got it to work!” – I often get nervous.

“I got it to work” sounds like a good thing, but it isn’t. Not yet. To me, “I got it to work” may also mean:

• I don’t really know how it’s working.
• I don’t really know that it will keep working.
• I don’t really know what to do if it stops working.

It’s always a pleasure to have something show signs of life after a technical struggle. That part is good!

Now there’s more work to be done, more to be learned, and more to document for the future.

Here’s a starter list:

• Do we know why a thing is designed to work as it does, including understanding the underlying concepts and assumptions?
• Have we developed a thoughtful and meaningful approach for how the thing can provide utility?
• Have we purposefully created the conditions where that utility can be delivered in an efficient and sustainable way?
• Did we write it down in a trusted and shared place?