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Skin in the game

Trust the judgment of people who pay for being wrong over people who only comment.

Our reading of the idea · 5 claims from 5 people, in their own words

Who thinks with this

David Heinemeier HanssonKent BeckMiles BrundagePolly D'Arcyswyx

An outside expert's understanding of somebody else's problem is bounded, because they do not have to live with the design after they leave.

  1. Kent Beck Creator of extreme programming and test-driven development Your understanding of somebody else's problem is bounded because you're not in the middle of it. You don't have the same skin in the game. If you're not semiconductor test engineer, you don't have as much skin in the game as somebody who is because they're going to have to be using this interface for a long time after you're gone. How Kent Beck shapes the software engineering industryyoutube.com · 1 Jul 2026 · 0:43:00 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordsYour understanding of somebody else's problem is bounded because you're not in the middle of it. You don't have the same skin in the game. If you're not semiconductor test engineer, you don't have as much skin in the game as somebody who is because they're going to have to be using this interface for a long time after you're gone.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 0:43:00 plays here

    ↗How Kent Beck shapes the software engineering industryyoutube.com

    1 Jul 2026 · video · 2h 28m · spoken · machine transcript

People who actively participate in a field give better commentary on it than pure observers with no stake in the outcome.

  1. swyx Writer and developer players who are also commentators give better commentary than people who are just commentators. Stock analysts who never invest have zero skin in the game. How to Thought Lead (2026)swyx.io · 14 Mar 2026All korrents from this piece
    Their wordsplayers who are also commentators give better commentary than people who are just commentators. Stock analysts who never invest have zero skin in the game.

    ↗How to Thought Lead (2026)swyx.io

    14 Mar 2026

If the people building a product would not use it with their own money, it is not good enough.

  1. Polly D'Arcy VP of Design at Wealthsimple I really believe that if you as someone who is a sort of maker and owner of the company building this product do not want to use it with your own money, it's not good enough. Polly D'Arcy - Going from IC to VP of Design at Wealthsimpleyoutube.com · 28 Apr 2026 · 4:28 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordsI really believe that if you as someone who is a sort of maker and owner of the company building this product do not want to use it with your own money, it's not good enough.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 4:28 plays here

    ↗Polly D'Arcy - Going from IC to VP of Design at Wealthsimpleyoutube.com

    28 Apr 2026 · video · 55m · spoken · machine transcript

AI companies will not fix their own security without outside pressure, because they bear the cost of investing and everyone else bears the cost of their not investing.

  1. Miles Brundage Independent AI policy researcher And while the costs of investing in security are largely borne by the company, the costs of under-investing are borne by a much larger set of actors, e.g. perhaps the country or world as a whole. Why Security Comes Firstmilesbrundage.substack.com · 10 Jan 2025All korrents from this piece
    Their wordsAnd while the costs of investing in security are largely borne by the company, the costs of under-investing are borne by a much larger set of actors, e.g. perhaps the country or world as a whole.

    ↗Why Security Comes Firstmilesbrundage.substack.com

    10 Jan 2025

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