My Work Pattern For Programming

[@gamedev_zombie]

Tim, I think we can all see that you want to make a video about your dogs. Go ahead, we'd love to watch it :)

[@qpid8110]

😂 I was thinking the same thing.

[@ForeverTemplar]

No, don't. I don't care. The dude's got a personal life, I get it. So does everyone else. It's not why people give a crap about the guy.

[@Anubis1101]

He's made 2, but they're shorts so they don't show on the regular list.

[@Scarabola]

I can appreciate a fellow Aphex Twin fan. Selected Ambient 85-92 is my all time fav electronic album.

[@avery_IO]

hopefully you saw the recent reissue 👌😎

[@feidry]

I love that this is Tim's retirement plan. This man has SO MUCH knowledge and it definitely should be shared with the world. Thanks, Tim. You're awesome. :)

[@anthonybird546]

Your comments about ambient music, especially Eno, made me think of your video on how bugs turned into features, and Eno's Oblique Strategy cards - honor your mistake as a hidden intention.

[@F00dstamp96]

Always a joy when we get a new T-Cain video!

[@spike3627]

4:06 HE SAID IT

[@UENShanix]

This is such a good video Tim, thank you so much for sharing your workflows with us. I am _absolutely_ stealing the "small task to start the day" trick, I know that's going to add up big for me.

[@Trezker]

Putting programmers in an open plan office is absolute insanity. If you want to 100x programmer productivity give each one their own office and never interact with those offices unless the door is open.

[@6stringmonk]

I like to leave myself a broken unit test at the end of my coding session which is very similar to your leaving yourself a task and a note technique. It works!

[@eeddkdks129]

Stumbled across your channel and I’ve fallen in love with the content!👏🏾

[@hamblok0]

Brian Eno's Neroli got me through my first programming job where I worked in a really noisy co-op office space at a start up company, super cool to see somebody else use the same kinda music to be able to focus.

[@dotomomo]

Selected Ambient Works is also one of my go-to morning coding albums!

[@brianviktor8212]

I come up with solutions to the most difficult problems during taking a bath. Sometimes also in the morning while waking up and thinking about it.

[@CainOnGames]

I’m nervous about using a laptop in the bath.

[@arsenymun2028]

Thanks for more programming videos! Would like to see something about rendering and switch from 2d to 3d era

[@AlyxCouch]

Hi Tim, love the content so far. I would love it if you went even further into the tech side. Something like a code review would be really cool.

[@boomsticknation4306]

Brother. I love you. Will continue to comment like this. You’re great man, really inspired me, and now you enrich me with your wonderful stories.

[@CptRed]

Fully agree on the value of having easy tasks. Though personally I don't start with one every day but whenever I feel slow and unfocused that is when I start going through easy tasks. When it comes to interruptions I usually don't get that badly affected by them(depends on what I'm doing at the time) and the value in being able to unblock other people, either with just answering simple questions or even doing a quick 20min or less changes, is definitional worth it. Hell this attitude even helped me get my current job because it gave me glowing recommendations from designers I worked with.

[@lew0]

*Tim has definitely been working out you can tell.*

[@MotorbreathChannel]

Get outta here, you no-shirt-Tim lobbyist, we don't want you!

[@MatthewScheffel]

I've been using a similar process to your "//zzz" in my LogSeq notebook: I tag a note as a "paused thought". It's been a game-changer for me. It's like being able to save state for thoughts; it allows me to pursue lines of investigation deeply, over a long period of time, discontinuously, when I have the gas in the tank for that particular task. When I return I have the whole nested "thought tree" (LogSeq is a graph-structured notebook) so I can pick up acceptably close to losslessly.

[@tarjeidavidsen7611]

My programming mentor in 2002 told me I absolutely needed 3 monitors. 1 for coding, 1 for research/googling, and 1 for goofing off with whatever I can/want to do on a computer instead of coding. I decided to combine the last 2 because I don't like huge desks, but I always remembered that it was pretty special for the guy paying me to work was telling me explicitly "you absolutely need to have one screen for just whatever you want, chatrooms, or whatever, that you can go to when you start feeling worn out".

[@aNerdNamedJames]

Actual courses in management techniques will explicitly talk about this. People's workflow will almost always be more productive with intermittent breaks than with "marathoning" their assignments.

[@joech1065]

Interesting

[@umartdagnir]

What about using your phone or just going out for the latter? This way you get distracted less.

[@tarjeidavidsen7611]

@@umartdagnir I think it's very individual, I'm sure for some that's a better solution, but for me it was a way to leave the computer *work* but still mentally not actually leaving the computer *space*, and I think that helped me jump back "in" when I had spent enough time "out" if that makes sense. As for while I am actually working, if I was in the zone so to speak, there was rarely a herd of wild stallions that could pull my eyes away from what I was doing. But definitely people are going to be different there.

[@seiety1244]

Skill issue

[@Felice_Enellen]

One of my faves in the 90's for programming music was Andreas Vollenweider's "Down to the Moon". Also fell in love with the Amelie soundtrack, which was (mostly? entirely?) instrumental.

[@fluff_thorrent]

I'm not a programmer (at least not by trade, did some for game dev school years ago), but this was really inspiring as a piece on productive, time-of-day-dependent scheduling. It motivates me to try getting up earlier in the morning to get stuff done (while no one is bothering me)!

[@kujivuniakituo6121]

Excellent video! I also use this trick with an easy task for the next day, it helps a lot to warm up, get ready, get into programmer mode and beat procrastination

[@bratttn]

You've described my own coding routine in so many ways starting from the early rise, the empty morning office observation, listening to ambient while coding (though in my case it's mainly podcasts), staying focused 'till noon and getting up every few hours just to move around a bit. I also try to schedule meetings and team management tasks in the afternoon.

[@iamtheteapot7405]

I don't know how you can listen to talking while coding but I'm happy that works for you.

[@ArchOfficial]

8:10 works for me as well, but for art, not coding. Oftentimes if I wake up and just start working, my head's not gonna be screwed on at all. Doing some really easy task that's in my comfort zone lets me "fail safely" and not waste a ton of time, then once I'm warmed up and my head works again I can do some more serious work. On a related note, this can also be a tremendously lethal low-mid range learning damper, because if you don't KNOW that you just need to get into the groove, you might get discouraged on every session and never manage to sludge past to the point where you're "really" at your ability level, which will be very discouraging and make you burn out.

[@thechino]

I don't code, but I'm a big fan of Brian Eno and Aphex Twin, among others. Some perfect music for getting stuff done!

[@OpenGL4ever]

A few other tips that can improve productivity: 1. A nap of 10 to 15 minutes can also increase productivity. Therefore, every office should have a sofa or something similar where you can take a nap. 2. Another important element is an air conditioning unit. In the USA this is normal, but in Germany it is not necessarily the case. Productivity begins to drop at room temperatures of 22°C, and drops very quickly at 25°C. Therefore, you should always pay attention to the correct air conditioning. 3. Computer monitors should be positioned so that the light from the window comes from the side. The window should never be behind the screen. 4. The work tables should be height-adjustable so that you can program and work while standing.

[@electrosys]

0:57: Jim Clark calls that structure in your head "Intellectual Scaffolding", I've always liked that term. I feel like its a good way to describe what goes on in a programmers head when they are in the middle of programming something. kzbin.info/www/bejne/laOvYn-kjdRmfdUfeature=shared&t=3781

[@robertbcardoza]

As a young man struggling through college, this kind of stuff is really valuable. Thank you.

[@Doom_C]

Great tips...I've come to pretty much the same conclusion through my own observations.

[@ronniebarter3857]

I love that you wake up so early, I'm the same way to a further degree, my co-workers find it odd that I wake up around 3am and fall asleep around 7 or 8pm.

[@criticalchai]

This was great info. A video on programming, life, learning balance would be great. It's the one thing I stress over.

[@radio_c]

This is really insightful for me, as I'm struggling with burnout and overall low productivity :) Thank you Tim!

[@ArthurSchoppenweghauer]

Love coding to ambient music like Solar Fields, he did the OST for Mirror's Edge. Aphex Twin is awesome too, although some songs can be anything other than relaxing.

[@StavrosNikolaou]

One of your best videos yet!!! Great tips!! I'm starting the "// zzz" and the easy-start tricks today! 😊 Have a great day!

[@HughOBrien]

I've heard that programming trick called "Park Facing Downhill"

[@andrewwschwartz]

Music is a big part of getting into the programming mindset for me. Great recommendations all around!

[@sandwich2473]

These tips are invaluable 👀 I always very much appreciate everything that you share

[@TheKorath]

When I caught the train in to work and I was working on my game I'd pick light refactoring tasks the night before and do them on the train. So I can relate to saving an easy task for early morning.

[@TwinOpinion]

This was great, Tim. Some helpful tips here for sure.

[@Anubis1101]

I usually use my side projects to ease me into Programming Mode, unless I've already been thinking about the main project all morning, or even since the night before, which happens a lot.

[@waltarron]

About the ambient music, I usually go for classical music especially when I'm reading a book in a crowded area, just put up headphones, it not only cancels the incoherent ambient noise it also makes it really nice and easy to read whatever I have.

[@talideon]

I do that last thing from time to time. It also help lower the amount of activation energy you need to get started because I _know_ I'll end up procrastinating my main task and start doing side tasks instead if I don't have a way to ease myself back into it.

[@EvilArtifact]

I tend to watch your videos in groups, but the thing that got me to stop and watch is that I’m wearing the same t-shirt on the day of publish! As a coder myself, I have gotten into the habit of writing my intent and logic flow in a big block comment at the start of the file I’m working in. The plain language breakdown really helps me externalization that cloud in my head so when I inevitably get interrupted I have a reference to go back to.

[@JFrancoe]

i'd love to hear more on what compiler and IDE you use, what frameworks you prefer and why!

[@pedrofromrio645]

I’m loving these thumbnails, ngl.

[@RolyPolyGames]

I'm gonna give the code note advice a go. One thing I'd really like to do is fix my sleep schedule I Find myself staying up way too late. I've thought about getting a small dog for my own health, but I've been a little reluctant to do it. Could be a good way to get me out for a break and waking up earlier.

[@artoodiitoo]

I like to draw plans and make notes in my sketchbook before sleeping, helps me know what to work on my game project next. I should probably start writing down things I´m planning to do next too when I finish working lol

[@ethanwasme4307]

I'm always too tired by night to trust myself with code... but can always squeeze an extra hour or two of notebooking... i love documenting the systems I've finished working on because I'm really bad at forgetting how a system works a week after deploying it 😂

[@kbelflower]

I've always had trouble with task completion and time management, and the tip at the end seems really useful for me as well as lining up with my own experience - if I leave the simple stuff for the start of my day, not just when I'm coding but whenever I'm working on something in general, it's much easier for me to get into a productive mindset that can escalate quickly and allow me to get more done over the day. If I start the day with a seemingly impossible task, my entire day will fall apart and I likely won't even get that one task done.

[@NubileReptile]

I don't know if I'm the one being directly responded to, but I asked this question some time back, so thanks for this!

[@jaxon_hill]

I have adhd, and starting with a simple task always makes it easier to do the harder things for our game after. We're a team of 2 so it isn't just for programming.

[@redrom9270]

Aphex Twin - Stone in Focus is my go to when I need to focus and relax.

[@shrippie-4214]

Personally I like Death Notes soundtrack and dnb or sometimes bjork while I'm heavily in the zone

[@retrolinkx]

It's interesting to hear you talk about ambient music being something you listen to while programming. I am exactly the same and need some mindless ambient noise with no lyrics to distract me while I program so I can focus entirely on that. Was very useful back in uni and still very glad the 3 hour video (unironically called "Concentration Music") is still up because I use that now whenever I had to focus and program things. Also, after watching a bunch of these videos. Wondering if we could get a look at the whole office you do this from? Would be cool to see the whole set up you use and everything in the background.

[@LordPapula]

Harold Budd!? My man...

[@liamhowatt5342]

Would love to see more coding videos

[@Mpq49z]

I came here for Fallout info. I ended up getting good general life advice. Thanks Tim

[@kaptenteo]

Huzzah!

[@TheSaikek]

Is there a Cain's playlist somewhere that you can share? Would really appriciate that. You've mentioned: Brian Eno harold budd Aphex Twin (Selected Ambient works) I found out that game ost's (mostly industrial or ambient) works the best for me: * deus ex ambient ost * warhammer 40k mechanicus (especial noosphere & children of omnisiah) * max payne 3 (health) * prey ost * the division ost some cult classics like * plaid (early works from 2000s)

[@chomnansaedan4788]

seems like habit is key. My morning habit got broken and its impossible to get my engines going now. Just lazy coding all day with not much progress. Compared to having a regiment where my brain would do a lot of automatic things. Now I am having to consciously program instead of being in the zone.

[@kip_c]

I do hope Tim is enjoying Baldur's Gate 3 because his videos have been such great listening material for my playthrough

[@andrewgreen1970]

Huge Eno and Budd fan here, though I can't focus with music on. I need silence.

[@GeomancerHT]

Listening to Aphex Twin now as per your recommendation :D, thanks for the videos, amazing share as usual!

[@dannykay4649]

Shoutout to Cooter for the daily perimeter checks.

[@carlbrutananadilewski]

Tycho's music is pretty great, if you haven't any. :)

[@torshec8634]

OG himself

[@nutherefurlong]

"Soma" :) Add Brave New World to the list of potential settings?

[@charlesdilks3267]

Aphex Twin is the best when programming, it’s almost like Richard made SAW-SAW Volume 2 specifically for that purpose

[@Guwab]

Ironically, I listen the soundtracks from Fallout and Arcanum as ambient music when I code.

[@Jaqinta]

Hello Mr Tim Cain , i'm also a software enginner and to avoid distraction that comes from my work environment , i'm using Microsoft Office OneNote program or any other program that has same features i used to take note from those free programs before , i detailly take notes from each steps of my approaching the problem and decide what i would like to do and if there is some mistake in the code or needed to have some improvement of the current code i just copy pasting that code block and give details on that note that in which line the code is and what i'm going to do about that code. ( but mostly when i've less time to take notes soo i just quickly take note on class name and in which line the code block is ) I also just wondering did you get any experience like i've had experienced before , which is when i just started to work as a software developer, my first company is a boss company which is not have any corporate identity in it soo the boss decides that if the employees should have to get raise or not , for a quite a descent time like in 2 years i ain't get any raise to my salary soo i decided to look for other jobs . Soo after a while they hired someone but he just finished his school and have no any experience on software business as like i have had . Soo they even lost their experienced software developers like me and soo many my other co workers decided to leave as well , they also changed them with unexperienced software developers ( btw their leaving decions have no relations of my decision ) . So in the end they lost their experienced developers , but also gain soo much budget to themselves . That company ain't get bankrupt but start to lose few customers but still manage to stay in software business . And also as starting with easy tasks thingy , companies i working with giving us some tasks in job tracker program soo when some job assigned to me from there i always start on the easiest ones but the developing switch ain't turn on to me after that , need to wait some time to focus on other task but unless the job itself has something i just curious about it then i immediately start on that hard job :) . Thanks again sir for your sharing informations and your experiences with us . Have a wonderfull life to your family and yourself .

[@samuelschwager]

Yeah, early mornings can be very productive, everything is quiet, no meetings, no coworkers... When other people start coming in you have your break :)

[@yousini]

Arcanum music video?

[@quendimirlenintino9605]

Does the game industry tend to take a "as long as you get your work done" approach? Or does management tend to favor those who always "look busy" and can sit in one spot for 3-4 hours at a time? I ask this as an eccentric night owl who has done plenty of video editing and find myself getting up to pace every ten to fifteen minutes of work.

[@ethanwasme4307]

leaving a notepad on your mousepad best trying to describe where you left off for the previous night...the many TODO FIXME WATCHME and null returns for later systems 😂😂 i love programming but wish i could have 20% extra short term memory...

[@Banefane]

Dude your damn work pattern please and please in chronological order so I can check if it's adaptable and if there's anything to learn from.

[@aNerdNamedJames]

Even as a non-programmer (like, literally can't, as in actual parietal lobe condition) this upload helps a whole lot -- I've tried to do as much as I can to help make worktime easier for the programmers on teams I'm part of, and insight like this helps immensely with readying for future days of that.

[@louistrinh3608]

Hi Tim, on the topic of coding. Would be cool to see you set up something like The Gameplay Ability System for Fallout1 on Unreal Engine. Learning from you would be a valuable experience.

[@iamtheteapot7405]

Would be an incredible privelage.

[@ethanwasme4307]

😂

[@darkobingus9714]

You can’t just skirt past having a pup named cooter we need the back story 😂💀😂

[@CainOnGames]

He was a rescue, and that was the name they gave him. He was at the shelter for six months, and I didn’t have the heart to rename him.

[@darkobingus9714]

@@CainOnGames that’s honestly very cute and sweet of you!

[@oliorogue]

Aphex Twin!l You might like Biosphere - Substrata.

[@bluemooninthedaylight8073]

Out of curiosity Tim, did you listen to groups like Coil?

[@dogauslu]

did masters degree listening to "neroli"

[@Lonit-be]

his dog's name was cooter? edit: he said it again lol, does it mean something else in american?

[@calebszyszkiewicz719]

6am recordings is your husband a heavy sleeper 😅

[@Rockyzach88]

Lol your dog is named cooter?

[@jonbigcawk]

Morning coke session, do tell

[@mb31]

Can we see Abby?

[@CainOnGames]

Abby can now be seen in a couple shorts I posted to this channel.