where the thinking actually goes
ENGINEER
mental model
plan
S2
architecture · strategy
code
S1 + S2
familiar patterns
hard problems
build
S2 leak
pipeline failures
dep conflicts
test
S2
coverage · failure reasoning
deploy
S2 leak
rollout config
incident runbooks
monitor
S2 ↑↑
system behavior
anomaly triage
deliberate thinking
S2 consumed by operational friction
what if the friction didn't require your best thinking?