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The Story of Filet-o-Fish1066 🐟

2024-01-27 · Short · Ali · recording, 0:58 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Productivity and time · mode: Explanation and tutorial · tags: Feel-Good Productivity thesis

In an extract from his book Feel-Good Productivity, Ali tells how the Reddit user Filet-o-Fish1066, stuck in a deeply boring software-testing job, secretly automated it, and draws the lesson that you can almost always own the process of a task even when someone else sets the outcome.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Filet-o-Fish1066 automates his boring software-testing job

  • ★★ Ali tells how in June 2016 the Reddit user Filet-o-Fish1066 made headlines for being fired after six years as a software developer testing software in quality assurance, work Ali calls deeply boring. — 00:00:00
  • ★★ Without telling his boss, Filet-o-Fish1066 spent the first eight months of his employment programming software to automate his job of running the same tests. — 00:00:00
  • ★★★ Ali says Filet-o-Fish1066 realised he might not have ownership over what he did, as he had to do what his boss said, but chose to take ownership of how he did it. — 00:00:00

00:00:29 — Own the process of a task even when the outcome is set by someone else

  • ★★★ Ali says there is almost always a way to own the process of a task even when someone else has set the outcome: a customer-service worker can own how they treat customers, a teacher how they teach the curriculum. — 00:00:29

    “There's almost always a way for us to own the process of a task”

  • ★★ Ali says there is extraordinary power to be gained by doing a task your own way, even in the most disempowering circumstances. — 00:00:29

Threads in this video

  • refine · How do you make boring work more enjoyable? — Ali says there is almost always a way to own the process of a task even when someone else has set the outcome: a customer-service worker can own how they treat customers, a teacher how they teach the curriculum. (00:00:29)

Mentioned

Central: autonomy · Filet-o-Fish1066

Also: Reddit

Only in the description or credits: Feel-Good Productivity (book)

Also centred on autonomy: Why you struggle to stay motivated. · Boost your energy by working harder ⚡️ · One of My Favourite Mindset Hacks 🧠 · This Doctor Had To Work a Night Shift On Her Wedding Day

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