Additionally, bullshit gets worse the more you try to optimize because you start putting worse optimizers in charge of making decisions. I think this is where the worst bullshit comes from: you hire people who just barely know how to do their jobs, they hire people who they don’t actually need because hiring people is what managers are supposed to do, they then have to find something for them to do. They playact at being productive because that’s what they were hired to do, and the business doesn’t notice for a while because they’re focused on trying to optimize past the point of marginally cost effective returns. This is where the worst bullshit pops up and is the most salient, but it’s all downstream of Goodharting.
Additionally, bullshit gets worse the more you try to optimize because you start putting worse optimizers in charge of making decisions. I think this is where the worst bullshit comes from: you hire people who just barely know how to do their jobs, they hire people who they don’t actually need because hiring people is what managers are supposed to do, they then have to find something for them to do. They playact at being productive because that’s what they were hired to do, and the business doesn’t notice for a while because they’re focused on trying to optimize past the point of marginally cost effective returns. This is where the worst bullshit pops up and is the most salient, but it’s all downstream of Goodharting.