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A software engineer shares personal 'automatic rules' — predefined constraints that prevent impulsive, regrettable decisions under pressure. Examples include never estimating during client calls, not making hiring decisions on interview day, and avoiding production deployments before leaving. Drawing on Daniel Kahneman's insight that rules outperform in-the-moment judgment, the author recommends analyzing past decision logs to identify patterns and create personal circuit breakers. The post ends with a prompt to reflect on what rule would have prevented your worst recent decision.

Automatic Rules: Cure for Brain's Misclicks

All about Engineering Management, Leadership and Career Growth.