https://reactiverobot.com/writing/ Things I thought were worth writing down. en-us Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000 Exploring the four pieces needed for fully autonomous software engineering agents: Intelligence, Environment, Control, and Context. https://reactiverobot.com/writing/autonomy.html matt@reactiverobot.com (Matt Dailey) https://reactiverobot.com/writing/autonomy.html Mon, 23 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0000 We were in a medium-loud public setting at a long high-top table and I was explaining how life changed after having kids to a friend without kids. I told them I'd never cared about the idea of "legacy" but I get it now holding my children and realizing that they are the only things I've created or will ever create that will go on beyond me. https://reactiverobot.com/writing/legacy.html matt@reactiverobot.com (Matt Dailey) https://reactiverobot.com/writing/legacy.html Thu, 18 Jan 2025 09:00:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Jan 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://reactiverobot.com/writing/burnout.html matt@reactiverobot.com (Matt Dailey) I love long road trips and letting my thoughts drift while I drive. It can be really creative and energizing, and I often ask my wife to jot down an idea and text it to me so I don't lose it. But sometimes my thoughts drift into rough waters. I get stuck on something and start turning it over and over in my mind, getting more and more worked up. https://reactiverobot.com/writing/burnout.html Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000 Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000 https://reactiverobot.com/writing/hiring.html When I'm stressed about work, I pace around the house. I work in our bedroom so I walk back and forth at the foot of the bed. My pacing is a mix of silent rehearsal and fist pumping to psych myself up. But for one call in winter 2022, I struggled to get in the zone. matt@reactiverobot.com (Matt Dailey) https://reactiverobot.com/writing/hiring.html Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000 Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000 When I started at Palantir, my desk was in a typical Silicon Valley office space. My team was in a room with six standing desks, no windows and a huge purple bean bag in the corner. I came back to my desk one afternoon feeling pretty good. I had just sent one my first decently large PRs for review and I was proud of it. https://reactiverobot.com/writing/code-review.html matt@reactiverobot.com (Matt Dailey) https://reactiverobot.com/writing/code-review.html Tue, 30 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000 Tue, 30 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000 While managing the Growth team at Figma, I worked from home in a small, downstairs one-bedroom with two rooms. I worked in the bedroom and my wife Courtney worked in the everything-else room. https://reactiverobot.com/writing/always-be-pitching.html matt@reactiverobot.com (Matt Dailey) https://reactiverobot.com/writing/always-be-pitching.html Tue, 06 Aug 2024 09:00:00 +0000 Tue, 06 Aug 2024 09:00:00 +0000 When I joined Figma, it was small enough for me to set up a coffee date with every employee. Everyone sat in a big room above a bar and coffee shop so every day for my first two months, I’d grab someone and go to the coffee stand downstairs to get to know them. https://reactiverobot.com/writing/outcomes-matter.html matt@reactiverobot.com (Matt Dailey) https://reactiverobot.com/writing/outcomes-matter.html Tue, 13 Aug 2024 09:00:00 +0000 Tue, 13 Aug 2024 09:00:00 +0000 I quit the startup before Figma after just 3 months. It's not on my LinkedIn so you can't look it up. It wasn't the right role for me but I went for it, partly due to the higher pay. They offered way more than I made previously, which turned out to be pretty unfortunate. https://reactiverobot.com/writing/leveling-up.html matt@reactiverobot.com (Matt Dailey) https://reactiverobot.com/writing/leveling-up.html Mon, 14 Oct 2024 09:00:00 +0000 Mon, 14 Oct 2024 09:00:00 +0000 Story of when I met my favorite meeting and the importance of reflection. https://reactiverobot.com/writing/reflection.html matt@reactiverobot.com (Matt Dailey) https://reactiverobot.com/writing/reflection.html Tue, 12 Nov 2024 09:00:00 +0000 Tue, 12 Nov 2024 09:00:00 +0000 https://reactiverobot.com/writing/communication.html matt@reactiverobot.com (Matt Dailey) In spring 2016, I worked at a seed stage start-up called “Radical Candor,” founded by Kim Scott and Russ Laraway to build software to help managers become better managers. Everyday I coded in the back seat of a Lyft on Highway 280 as I rode to our office in the Flintstone House, 45 minutes south of San Francisco. https://reactiverobot.com/writing/communication.html Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000 Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000