Martin KonΓΔek
Blog
I will look surprised, people are comfortable.
Previously, I didn't pay much attention to my surroundings, as I was self-absorbed and followed the principle of "I judge you by myself". Additionally, I was younger then π. The older I get, the more I observe how normal and common it is to live extremely within one's comfort zone, to the point of it being shocking.
Comfort at Any Cost
Looking at people I went to school with, or those who worked in the non-IT departments of companies I've been with, it's surprising to find them in the same place after ten, twenty years. They often live in the same apartment, work the same job, at the same position, and even have the same furniture.
This doesn't mean they are lazy; they often work hard both at work and at home, always busy with something. But when it comes to change in their lives, it's as if time stopped, and everything remains the same for decades.
Deadly for Companies
I remember, right after school (which was twenty years ago), joining a company and leading a project to improve their website. We completely revamped it. Now, over twenty years later, the company has been sold and is in a kind of "zombie" state, yet surprisingly, the website remains the same.
If you build a company on "ordinary, comfort-seeking people," it will eventually die, not immediately, but over time. We see this in the state sector, where education is almost based on centuries-old curriculums, and it doesn't work.
I Tend to Hold Myself Back
Despite having many bad qualities, comfort isn't one of them. I enjoy disrupting old orders and challenging things that continue out of mere inertia. I've realized that sometimes it's useful to stick with something for a while, so I occasionally "hold on" to avoid destroying things that actually work well.
Sometimes it's great to persevere, but there's a difference between doing it with calculation (yes, I've figured out it's worth it) and out of sheer convenience (no, it's not worth it, but I'm too lazy to change).
Moreover, when making changes, it's crucial to maintain direction, not changing everything chaotically, but setting a clear path for the changes I want to make.
Even IT People Can Be Lazy
In IT, I encounter many people who have "fallen asleep at the wheel". They still rely on technologies like LAMP (Linux, Apache, PHP, MySQL), which were popular twenty years ago, and continue to use relational databases and Linux, even though the industry has moved towards cloud-native solutions, NoSQL databases, and different data management systems (the economics of data have changed; storage is now cheap, computing power expensive, whereas decades ago, it was the opposite).
What surprises me is how common this is in IT. When considering whether I would hire such a person, my initial thought is probably not. However, many companies see it as a cost-saving measure, both in terms of wages and infrastructure.
Personally, I prefer to move with the times, and it's not cheap, I admit that. But companies that hire me can be sure that in twenty years, they won't be dusting off cobwebs, and I believe that's worth it.
This approach to staying relevant and adaptive in an ever-evolving technological landscape is crucial for both personal growth and organizational success. By embracing change and constantly updating skills and methodologies, one can avoid stagnation and ensure that they remain valuable and effective in their field. This mindset, although not always the easiest path, leads to more dynamic and innovative outcomes, which are essential in the fast-paced world of technology and business.