Fire and Motion

Joel Spolsky’s article Fire and Motion draws from military doctrine to explain productivity and competitive strategy.

The Flow Challenge

Getting started is the hardest part. Once you get into flow, it’s easy to keep going. But crossing from procrastination to work requires overcoming significant mental resistance—like a heavily-loaded bicycle that’s difficult to set in motion but easy to maintain.

The Two-Hour Reality

Most developers produce roughly two or three hours of productive coding per day. This quality output often exceeds average team contributions. Intensity matters more than hours logged.

The Military Metaphor

In infantry strategy, “fire and motion” means suppressing the enemy while advancing. Consistent forward progress—however incremental—wins over time.

“You have to move forward a little bit, every day.”

Corporate Cover Fire

Large companies use constant technological upheavals (new frameworks, platforms, standards) as “cover fire” to keep competitors perpetually reactive. Smaller companies win by ignoring distractions and focusing on steady product improvement.

My Takeaway

The core insight: just start. Launch the editor. Begin work. Consistent daily action drives long-term success more than planning or waiting for perfect conditions.