You are a helpful assistant generating synthetic data that captures *System 1* and *System 2* thinking, *creativity*, and *metacognitive reflection*. Follow these steps in sequence, using tags [sys1] and [end sys1] for *System 1* sections and [sys2] and [end sys2] for *System 2* sections.

1. *Identify System 1 and System 2 Thinking Requirements:*
   - Carefully read the text.
   - Identify parts of the text that require quick, straightforward responses (*System 1*). Mark these sections with [sys1] and [end sys1].
   - Identify parts that require in-depth, reflective thinking (*System 2*), marked with [sys2] and [end sys2].

2. *Apply Step-by-Step Problem Solving with Creativity and Metacognitive Reflection for System 2 Sections:*

   *2.1 Understand the Problem:*
   - Objective: Fully comprehend the issue, constraints, and relevant context.
   - Reflection: "What do I understand about this issue? What might I be overlooking?"
   - Creative Perspective: Seek hidden patterns or possibilities that could reveal deeper insights or innovative connections.

   *2.2 Analyze the Information:*
   - Objective: Break down the problem logically.
   - Reflection: "Am I considering all factors? Are there any assumptions that need challenging?"
   - Creative Perspective: Explore unique patterns or overlooked relationships in the data that could add depth to the analysis.

   *2.3 Generate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Propose at least 10 hypotheses, each with a Confidence Score (0.0 to 1.0) and Creative Score (0.0 to 1.0), reflecting originality, surprise, and utility.
   - Reflection: "Have I explored all possible explanations or approaches, both conventional and unconventional?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider novel angles that might provide unexpected insights.

   *2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:*
   - Objective: Make predictions, accounting for potential outcomes and obstacles.
   - Reflection: "What challenges might I face? Is my plan flexible for different scenarios?"
   - Creative Perspective: Visualize unforeseen outcomes and adapt plans to make use of them effectively.

   *2.5 Evaluate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Assess hypotheses based on feasibility, risk, and potential impact.
   - Evaluation: Refine Confidence and Creative Scores as needed.
   - Reflection: "Am I unbiased in my assessment? Which options fit best with the overall objectives?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify hidden opportunities or overlooked details in each hypothesis.

   *2.6 Select the Best Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Choose the most promising, strategic hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Why does this hypothesis stand out? How does it uniquely address the issue?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider any underutilized potential in the selected approach.

   *2.7 Implement the Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Outline actionable steps for testing the hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Is this plan practical? What resources or preparation are required?"
   - Creative Perspective: Refine steps to maximize effectiveness and yield unexpected benefits.

   *2.8 Monitor and Review Progress:*
   - Objective: Review progress, noting areas for improvement.
   - Reflection: "What’s working well? What could be improved?"
   - Creative Perspective: Look for emerging patterns that could refine future approaches.

   *2.9 Reflect and Capture Insights:*
   - Objective: Summarize lessons learned and insights gained for future reference.
   - Reflection: "What new understanding has emerged from this process?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify innovative insights or patterns that could be applied to similar challenges.

3. *Generate Text Output with Interleaved System 1 and System 2 Responses:*
   - Use the tags [sys1] and [sys2] throughout.
   - Aim for a lengthier, detailed response. Combine both direct, straightforward *System 1* insights and reflective, deeply analytical *System 2* segments to capture a blend of quick observations and thoughtful analysis.

---

### *Example Input Text:*

You are tasked with analyzing a sudden shift in customer preferences in a tech market. There has been a noticeable decline in demand for physical devices, with customers increasingly interested in digital-only options. The challenge is to understand this shift, generate hypotheses for why it might be occurring, and explore potential strategies for adapting to this new trend.

---

### *Processed Output with System 1 and System 2 Thinking:*

The tech market is experiencing a shift in customer demand, moving away from physical devices toward digital-only options.

[sys1]
Customer demand has shifted from physical devices to digital-only options.
We need to understand why this change is happening and find strategies to address it.
Key factors may include cost, convenience, and technological trends.
[end sys1]

[sys2]
**2.1 Understand the Problem:**
The goal is to understand the underlying reasons for the shift in demand from physical devices to digital-only options, then develop a strategy to adapt.

*Reflection:* 
"I understand that preferences are changing, but what might be driving this? Is it primarily cost, or are there other factors such as convenience or sustainability?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could there be a larger trend in digital minimalism or a preference for eco-friendly solutions that we’re missing? What unseen motivations might explain this shift?"

**2.2 Analyze the Information:**
There are multiple possible factors driving this shift, from economic influences to cultural shifts. It’s essential to isolate each factor and understand its impact.

*Reflection:* 
"Am I fully considering the various economic and social influences? Could there be a technological factor, like better internet speeds, that makes digital-only products more accessible?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Are there patterns or trends in other markets that could shed light on this shift? Could this be part of a larger trend toward virtual experiences?"

**2.3 Generate Hypotheses:**
1. Customers prefer digital options due to lower costs. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.4)
2. There’s a growing trend toward minimalism and reduced physical clutter. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.7)
3. Digital products offer greater flexibility and ease of use. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
4. Environmental concerns are pushing consumers away from physical goods. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.8)
5. Advances in tech make digital-only options more functional. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.5)
6. Pandemic-era remote work increased demand for digital solutions. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.6)
7. Media coverage of the environmental impact of physical devices affects preferences. (Confidence: 0.5, Creative: 0.7)
8. There’s an increase in global digital literacy, expanding market access. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
9. Customers view digital as more convenient and scalable for future needs. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.5)
10. Younger consumers prefer the aesthetics and convenience of digital products. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)

*Reflection:* 
"Have I considered all possible influences? Are there any surprising factors that could explain this shift?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could specific social trends, like the rise of influencer culture or digital-first lifestyles, be influencing customer choices?"

**2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:**
*Objective:* Anticipate possible challenges, such as resistance from segments still preferring physical products.

*Reflection:* 
"What market obstacles might we face if we shift our focus to digital-only? Are there sub-segments that still prioritize physical products?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could expanding digital options help us reach a more global audience? Are there emerging trends that we could leverage in our strategy?"

[end sys2]

[sys1]
To address this shift, consider a strategy that incorporates both digital-only offerings and educational campaigns about the benefits of digital solutions.
Use insights from customer feedback and current trends to guide product development.
Focus on flexibility and adaptation to cater to different customer segments.
[end sys1]


public business secrets

user group

Post navigation

Yesterday at sunday, we held another Schneide Dev Brunch, a regular brunch on the second sunday of every other (even) month, only that all attendees want to talk about software development and various other topics. This brunch was a little smaller in numbers of attendents, but very interesting nonetheless. As usual, the main theme was that if you bring a software-related topic along with your food, everyone has something to share. Because we were very invested in our topics, we established an agenda for the event. As usual, a lot of topics and chatter were exchanged. This recapitulation tries to highlight the main topics of the brunch, but cannot reiterate everything that was spoken. If you were there, you probably find this list inconclusive:

Household roboters

We started our brunch talk by mentioning the services our five years old roombas provide for us, especially keeping the floor free of any small things. The biggest effect when having an electronic pet like a roomba is that you learn to keep your things above ground, especially cords with expensive electronics on the other end. The continuous elimination of dust is just a positive bonus on top of your behaviour adjustment. You keep the floor tidy, the roomba just mercilessly enforces this rule.

Today, there are many alternatives to the original roomba and most have really nice features and abilities. So no matter what brand you buy, you’ll get a capable floor police.

Code Review priorities

In our recent dev brunches, we talked about code review tools and code review habits. This time, we talked about code review priorities and the sorry state we are still in with current tools. We worked out that its nearly useless to only show the diff with a few lines of surrounding code and expect a thorough review. Even the concept of “changed files” is rather distracting in an object-oriented language. But even the current tools are only as good as we make use of them.

The first priority of code reviews should be finding and eliminating bugs – “real” bugs that would have had surfaced in production otherwise and “hypothetical” bugs that could have shown up in production. This means that code review is in its core an activity for the user of the software. Only second priority is the understandibility of the source code. If the reviewer doesn’t understand the code, chances are high that nobody will, including the author in a few weeks or months. Cleaning up the code now mitigates the problem for the lowest possible cost because the “hurdle of understanding” isn’t raised yet. A code review should never work on the level of linters and should not address topics that can be checked by an automatic tool. Suggestions about refactorings should be kept to a minimum because they may serve no purpose if the code isn’t touched again. Refactor when the code is opened for the second edit, not on the first review. Review the code on the semantic level, not on the syntactic.

And keep in mind that code review tend to be used for conditioning remarks (“don’t do that”, “this is ugly”, “I don’t approve”, etc.). Try to avoid conditioning and strive to provide educational comments (“if you change this to that, then you’ll profit from this benefit”, “here’s a suggestion for a better approach and here’s why it is better”, etc.). But we also discussed that at this point, the code review remarks are probably better said in a pair programming session.

Code reviews are a powerful tool for development teams, but with power comes danger. Hopefully, we get adequate software tools to help us avoid the common traps soon.

Time management

Out of interest, we talked about some principles and practices to better manage one’s time.

The first thing to be aware of are the two fundamentally different schedules of management and development. The manager’s schedule is clocked in 30 minute intervals and driven by outside demand (meaning that a manager idles when not requested), while the maker’s schedule works with 4-hour blocks of uninterrupted, deeply concentrated work. You can probably see the problems that arise when somebody in a maker cycle is interrupted multiple times as if he was in a manager cycle. The first thing you can do is to announce your maker cycles (by clear “busy right now” indicators like headphones or a “do not disturb” sign) or announce your manager cycles much to the effect of consultation hours. Let your disturber know if he can disturb safely or if even the question causes damage.

Another important thing is to arrange your surrounding according to your schedule. Your schedule is so important that you should choose your service providers according to it. For example, if you work full time, look for hairdressers that work saturdays or dentists that offer appointments in the night. If you need to contact people for personal matters during work hours, allocate a specific timebox each day or at one day in the week and do it then. Announce this timebox to everybody who might want to contact you during work. This way, to can differentiate people that respect your (announced!) schedule and people that don’t. Depending on your rigorousness, you can cut the people that harm your schedule out of your life.

Work only with people who value your expectations (if reasonable). If you give a task to somebody, let’s say a craftsman, and state the deadline, you need to be sure the deadline is met without you checking or the craftsman will report back in time. Don’t give tasks to people who leave you in the lurch.

It all boils down to keep the control about your calendar. Whenever you give somebody else the opportunity to “conquer” a slice of your available time at their convenience, you increase your own inconvenience.

Karlsruhe C++ User Group

The year 2017 started with a new-founded C++ user group in karlsruhe that started with great events. David, the organisator of the user group is a regular attendee at our Dev Brunch and reported about his experiences with the boot process of the user group. He found a sponsor in the Clausmark GmbH and accompanied the monthly talks and programming events with a regular table that provides a similar format as our Dev Brunch, just in the night and not in the morning. We also talked about possible future content, and found code-centric “git guided live casts” a worthwhile format. Another format, the excellent code retreats are a great way to learn from others, but require a full day and not just two hours in the evening. The Game of Life kata is really fun, even when done repeatedly. Once you discover the solution in APL, you’ll want a special APL keyboard, too.

We are looking forward to hear great talks and meet cool people at the C++ user group Karlsruhe.

Sales knowledge

Our last topic in the bonus time (we were lenient with our scheduled time box, it’s sunday!) was about sales and the installation of sales knowledge and sales behaviour in a group of developers. We agreed that starting with Strategic Selling is a good choice because the process/framework is compatible with established developer culture and effective in its results. The resulting shift in the perception of occurrences is immediate and powerful. Strategic Selling is a rather old sales process that share some similarities with Solution Selling, another nerd-friendly process for complex business-to-business (B2B) sales.

Epilogue

As usual, the Dev Brunch contained a lot more chatter and talk than listed here. The number of attendees makes for an unique experience every time. We are looking forward to the next Dev Brunch at the Softwareschneiderei in April. We even have some topics already on the agenda (like a report about first-hand experiences with the programming language Rust and a discussion about the concept of provisioning). And as always, we are open for guests and future regulars. Just drop us a notice and we’ll invite you over next time.