The Productivity Measurement Paradox
In knowledge work, the inability to measure productivity precisely creates dangerous space for irrational optimisation. Because we cannot reliably quantify what makes a programmer effective, managers can mandate tools that feel productive whilst being destructive, mistaking activity for achievement. This measurement void allows institutional capture by any technology that generates impressive-looking metrics—lines of code, commits, tickets closed—whilst the actual work becomes harder, slower, and more frustrating. The very opacity that makes programming intellectually rewarding also makes it vulnerable to productivity theatre that optimises for the measurable at the expense of the meaningful.