Ramblin' & Amblin' (2026-10-22): I accept that I'm speaking on behalf of
Ramblin' & Amblin' Field Notes with Mike Hall (Staff Software Engineer) Recorded on the move: engineering observations, systems architecture, and software craftsmanship reflections.
The Interviewer
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
I accept that I'm speaking on behalf of just all of us
regular developers. There are plenty of people out here who
are way, way smarter than I am. But I also know that people
way smarter than me built the H-Bomb. So, you know, like,
do with that what you will.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
Opraxia, they talk about roaches, and roaches are just the
common people who are not neurodivergent. You know, that ro
aches are a lot harder to hack, and we're so robust. We just
kind of exist. Just give that play in a second.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
Be patient here for a
moment. Is that a, you know, part of my own even anxiety
doing this has been, who am I? I'm just some developer here. Now, I do know in my
experience I'm not just some developer, but I'm not
somebody who you've ever heard of, unless you've worked
with me.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
And if you've worked with me, then you know who I am. And
you also know what a pain in the ass I am. So, I'm out here
knowing my own limits here. And I'm looking at what I'm
seeing around me.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
And I'm hearing a lot of optimism from very smart people,
who are doing very cool stuff, if you don't think about it
too much. And I understand why they're enthusiastic. It's exciting. I
can see it.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
But, you know, let's, I'm not trying to get too
dark here, too bleak. But the reality is on the ground. When I'm looking at the
developers I'm working with, and the product people that I
've been working with, and the business leaders that I've
been working with,
and seeing firsthand how that mirage of competence is a
major vulnerability, but then also some of this enthusiasm
is coming from people who've never worked in an environment
where literally nobody knows how any of this works. And they're all terrified to make a change, but somehow AI
is going to make it okay to make that change.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
But the problem is they still didn't solve the first
problem, and as they do not understand how the system works
, they don't even have the faculties to make the question
regarding finding out, because it's just not in their
domain. So, when I talk about the AI stuff, I am talking about it
from the staff engineer practitioner's perspective, not
from somebody who is a true AI AI, come on. All right. Thanks.
Mike Hall
Host, Ramblin' & Amblin'
▶ Speaking
Bye.