Even with design, you make bets on how the trade-offs of one direction are superior to the trade-offs of another. For many programmers, these abstractions are disturbing. The uncertainty of it is disconcerting. Much like writers and designers, they are drawn to precision work. They like the control of each pixel, bit, or letter. It satisfies perfectionistic or even obsessive compulsive tendencies in their personalities. To move to, as Adams's would say, squishy topics like choosing who to hire or fire, or what feature idea has the most merit, is distasteful for many programmers. Even
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