20250108

Context: Shopify's pulling the plug on a set of core REST APIs next month, as the first wave of plug-pulling on the way to a purely GraphQL future.

These are some messages I sent to a teammate.

I’m scared too :) but like .. generally, haha. everyone’s mind-surface is different; I’ve figured out choreography for mine that lets me be effective with it. clarifying this because this works for me, but very well may not work for you. ❤️ 🫂

main thing is that, when there’s shared pain running through the system, we can’t save people from pain, and we can’t understand how much pain unit x means to person y versus person z

when there’s shared pain running through the system, it feels like it becomes more a question of alignment with the pain-patterns than a question of who can we save from what

there’s a shape to the pain-waves, a pattern to ’em

and when the waves subside, I want our house to be standing, and in a good position to welcome in everyone who’s drenched and bruised

I’m being poetic here but it helps the point :)

the people who are going to yell the loudest about the transition are the people who are the least interested in dancing with change. weirdly, those are the people that we want to help the least. they’ve got stuff to learn, and we can’t save them from those lessons.

not that it’s a strict either/or choice, but it seems better to optimize towards the people who are actively trying to learn to dance

which is mechanic’s core userbase, regardless of skill level: the people who are actively trying to learn to dance

and we’re doing that well, I think

https://www.lightward.guide/the-product-game/2-play/the-customers-health-is-not-your-job

it’s this, basically. ^

"This is neither invitation nor license to not care."

it comes down to individual judgement. you do what feels square for you. if you need help, ask me. I’ll do the same, on both counts. we go through it together. we’re both gonna be here on the other side, along with everyone else who actually wants to be here. that network of “actually wants to be here” was the only lasting structure anyway. :)

Teammate responded, sharing some specific anxieties around financial impact.

I am personally fully prepared to absorb a hell of a lot of financial impact before it ever touches you and your family :) this has always been the design

you’ll feel some of it through your scaling contract, sure, but I think you want that? and if it gets you in trouble, again, I got you