Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

I think optimization triggers fundamental instincts in humans:

1. Tracking i.e. navigating through jungles for hunting or find where the bottleneck is.

2. The thrill of the hunt. The joy after finding the hotspot or the bottleneck. It makes your day.

3. The actual hunt i.e. shooting an arrow/spear or using clever way of fixing.

4. Brag about the hunt or writing a blog post or tech talk on how difficult and awesome the hunt was.

Also optimizing a critical path has multiple takers in the org:

1. Product Managers are happy due to improved user experience.

2. Management is happy as in some cases it actually saves a lot of money.

3. Your boss is happy because he/she gets to score points as "team achievement" when evaluation is around the corner.

4. Engineers get to do nerdy things which otherwise would not find traction in the org.

All in all its a win-win-win-* situation.




Ah yes, completely unfounded behavioral "science" to explain a modern thing. My favorite.



Consider applying for YC's Summer 2025 batch! Applications are open till May 13

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact