1. Chesterton’s Fence – understand existing structures before changing them
Many commenters stressed that you should learn why something exists before removing or altering it.
- “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.” – emil‑lp
- “The responsibility to ask is literally the point of Chesterton’s fence… you need to ask and learn about it.” – saghm
2. Bias toward action vs. bias toward inaction in a new role
The discussion repeatedly weighed the pressure to deliver quick impact against the value of taking time to learn.
- “It’s critical to start showing some Phase 3 impact, even if not with a sledgehammer, before peers quickly lose faith.” – iSloth
- “My experience… is an exceptionally heavy bias towards inaction… the people that do demonstrate a bias towards action tend to fall into one of two camps…” – austin‑cheney
- “bias towards inaction often creates better outcomes for everyone, but a bias towards action creates better career results.” – nlawalker
3. Documentation, onboarding, and process transparency as a safe way to contribute
Several participants highlighted fixing docs, runbooks, and CI as a low‑risk first step that builds understanding and credibility.
- “I always start with fixing the documentation, the runbooks, the CI process. It's a deliverable you can engage in without breaking production…” – hinkley
- “It's also, inevitably, the newest people who are often the best at fixing basic documentation — because they're the ones who don't already know it.” – gsnedders