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Scribelet Blog

Insights on knowledge, productivity, and AI

Deep dives into building a smarter second brain, staying ahead with AI, and making your knowledge work harder for you.

10 min read

Perverse Incentives: When the Reward Backfires

A perverse incentive is a reward that produces the opposite of what you wanted, because the cheapest way to earn it skips the real work. How to spot one, how it relates to Goodhart's and Campbell's laws, and how to design around it. Try it free.

perverse-incentiveengineeringmetricsincentivesdecision-makingknowledge-decay
12 min read

Campbell's Law: How High-Stakes Metrics Corrupt the Work

Campbell's law says the more a metric is used for high-stakes decisions, the more it corrupts the very thing it measures. How it differs from Goodhart's law, and how to keep the stakes from rotting the work. Try it free.

campbells-lawengineeringmetricsdecision-makingsoftware-lawsknowledge-decay
10 min read

Yak Shaving: Why One Task Becomes Ten, and How to Stop

Yak shaving is the cascade of prerequisite tasks that pulls you off your real goal. What it is, why each step feels necessary, and how to climb out. Try it free.

yak-shavingproductivityfocusengineering-practiceai
9 min read

Rubber Duck Debugging: Talk to the Duck, Write to the Duck, Ask the AI

Rubber duck debugging solves bugs by explaining your code line by line. Why it works, how to do it in writing, and what changes when the duck is an AI. Try it free.

rubber-duck-debuggingdebuggingthinkingself-documenting-codeai
11 min read

Sturgeon's Law: Why 90% of Everything Is Crud

Sturgeon's law says 90% of everything is crud. Why that is true, why AI makes it sharper, and how to filter for the 10% that matters. Try it free.

sturgeons-lawthinkingcurationknowledge-decayai
11 min read

Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect: Why You Trust a Source You Caught Wrong

The Gell-Mann amnesia effect: why you trust a source right after catching it wrong, why AI makes it sharper, and how to stop it in your notes. Try it free.

gell-mann-amnesiathinkingmisinformationknowledge-decayai
11 min read

Brandolini's Law: Why Debunking Costs More Than Lying

Brandolini's law: refuting nonsense takes an order of magnitude more effort than producing it, and AI made it worse. What it means and how to defend your notes. Try it free.

brandolinis-lawthinkingmisinformationknowledge-decayai
14 min read

Goodhart's Law: When a Measure Becomes a Target

Goodhart's law says that when a measure becomes a target, it stops being a good measure. Why metrics get gamed, which ones rot into targets, and how to keep them honest. Try it free.

goodharts-lawengineeringmetricssoftware-lawsdecision-makingknowledge-decay
13 min read

Hyrum's Law: Why Every Observable Behavior Becomes a Contract

Hyrum's law says every observable behavior of your system eventually becomes a contract someone depends on. What it means, why it happens, and how to stay changeable. Try it free.

hyrums-lawengineeringapi-designsystems-designsoftware-lawsknowledge-decay

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