korrents
Rich Hickey

Rich Hickey

@rich-hickey · 9 positions · On ppll ↗

Creator of the Clojure programming language and of Datomic. His rationale for Clojure is one of the few language design documents that argues its case rather than describing its syntax.

Rich Hickey did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

4 of Rich Hickey's claims fit 4 mental models. Most often: Conservation of complexity, Less, but better, Play long games.

Models we see in what they say

Our reading: their claim applies the idea without naming it. The claim is theirs; filing it here is ours.

Conservation of complexity

Some complexity cannot be removed, only moved; the question is who carries it, the user or the maker.

Used by 11 others

Simplifying often leaves you with more things, not fewer: simplicity is about not tangling things together, not about counting them.

  1. Rich Hickey Creator of the Clojure programming language and of Datomic And recognize that when you simplify things, you often end up with more things. Right? Simplicity is not about counting. "Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com · c. 2011 · 1:00:36 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordsAnd recognize that when you simplify things, you often end up with more things. Right? Simplicity is not about counting.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 1:00:36 plays here

    ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com

    c. 2011 · video · 1h 01m · spoken · machine transcript

Less, but better

Find the essence and cut the rest; simplicity is hard work, not the absence of effort.

Used by 59 others

Simple and easy are different things, and treating simplicity as ease of use is a mistake.

  1. Rich Hickey Creator of the Clojure programming language and of Datomic Your sensibilities about simplicity being equal to ease of use are wrong. They're just simply wrong. Right? We saw the definitions of simple and easy. They're completely different things. Right? So, easy is not simple. "Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com · c. 2011 · 0:58:55 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordsYour sensibilities about simplicity being equal to ease of use are wrong. They're just simply wrong. Right? We saw the definitions of simple and easy. They're completely different things. Right? So, easy is not simple.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 0:58:55 plays here

    ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com

    c. 2011 · video · 1h 01m · spoken · machine transcript

Play long games

A longer horizon makes some problems solvable and some short-term wins look like what they are.

Used by 41 others

Choosing what is easy over what is simple buys speed only at the start, the way only a runner in a very short race can sprint from the gun.

  1. Rich Hickey Creator of the Clojure programming language and of Datomic So, what kind of runner uh can run as fast as they possibly can from the very start of a race? Right. Only somebody who runs really short races. "Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com · c. 2011 · 0:17:27 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordsSo, what kind of runner uh can run as fast as they possibly can from the very start of a race? Right. Only somebody who runs really short races.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 0:17:27 plays here

    ↗"Simple Made Easy" - Rich Hickey (2011)youtube.com

    c. 2011 · video · 1h 01m · spoken · machine transcript

Positioning

Set up your situation, rules and defaults so the good choice is the easy one, instead of relying on willpower.

Used by 21 others