Think Like a Tech Giant: Applying Technical Debt Strategies to Personal Growth

Nov 15

Make space to explore your mental playground with new concepts from (Graphic created in Canva. PC Jenn MacNiven)

In our fast-paced world, the fusion of lifelong learning, neuroplasticity, and technical debt offers a compelling lens for personal and professional advancement. As someone who relishes learning from big thinkers, I've discovered that seemingly unrelated insights can profoundly reshape our understanding, much like untangling a complex web to reveal new connections.

Introducing Technical Debt

The term "technical debt" was new to me, but instead of steering away, I embraced the curiosity it sparked. Being adaptable in a time of rapid change often requires us to dive into concepts beyond our expertise. With this mindset, I’m embracing Artificial Intelligence, understanding that it's easier to catch the ride before the bullet train leaves the station.

In a captivating conversation, Sahil Bloom, alongside venture capitalist Josh Kopelman, illuminated parallels for me between technology’s technical upkeep and our mental refresh—reminders of the updates our minds need.

Personal Growth: A Reflection of Technical Debt

Technical debt encapsulates the burden of outdated computer programming code needing constant care to keep up with a company’s growth. In short, it means that a company’s code is never robust enough initially to handle long-term growth. It requires continual maintenance. Our minds—which are also complex networks of experiences, beliefs, and habits—are similar. If we wish to build new "floors" to our personal development, we must engage with neuroplasticity, continually refining our internal frameworks.

From Code to Cortex: Embracing Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity embodies the brain’s extraordinary potential to change throughout life. Concepts like Hebbian learning ("neurons that fire together, wire together") and long-term potentiation solidify our neural connections, laying the bedrock for permanent memories and understanding [3].

Just as technology adapts, our brains forge and refine schemas —frameworks that structure our thoughts for efficient memory and understanding. Key brain regions like the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex play pivotal roles [3, 2]. Maintaining a sharp memory and staying innovative in your field requires daily investment and mental upgrades.

The Metaphor of Renewal

Similar to companies tackling technical debt, we must invest in mental upkeep. Our brains thrive on renewal.

Sleep, especially slow-wave sleep, consolidates new information, strengthening neural pathways [3]. Memory reconsolidation refreshes our knowledge base [2]. Cutting sleep for extra work hours is counterproductive; instead, prioritize rest to maintain robust mental health.

Guided by Bloom's dialogue with Kopelman, this metaphor insists on embracing creative destruction—a concept tech giants employ—for personal evolution.

Embracing Creative Destruction

Our bodies employ this strategy from the time we are born; new cells replace old ones every 7-10 years.

Aging results from this process slowing. To decelerate aging, support your body's renewal systems. Cheap shortcuts result in a rapid decline.

Instead, nourish your mind and body: eat clean, sleep well, and exercise regularly.

Facing Challenges in Knowledge Building

Cherishing our mental frameworks demands vigilance against pitfalls. Strong schemas may produce false memories, for example [2]. Enhanced metacognitive skills—awareness of how we learn—empower growth.

In educational contexts, active learning and emotionally engaging environments are vital [5]. Harnessing neuroplasticity enables resilient cognitive foundations.

A Call to Action

Adopting a technical debt perspective on our mental patterns is transformative. Break down old beliefs to foster a dynamic mindset.

As Sahil Bloom wisely notes, "sometimes you have to destroy who you thought you were to uncover who you are meant to be."

Let's challenge our cognitive norms and invest in both current and future growth with the same fervor as tech companies. By doing so, we advance not just as individuals but as a community devoted to continuous enlightenment and longevity.