John Carmack

Quotes are word for word from the source.

• humility in expertise

  “There were many many years, a decade, when I was considered this graphics guru genius, when I really couldn't do from scratch [...] the mathematics that underpins a lot of that.”

  Our noteHe was discussing his long journey to mastering the heavy mathematics of engineering.

• low entry barriers

  “If you want to set off and go develop some grand new thing, you don't need millions of dollars of capitalization.”

  Our noteHe was explaining how the information age removed barriers to entry for programmers.

• essentials for success

  “You need enough pizza and Diet Coke to stick in your refrigerator, a cheap PC to work on, and the dedication to go through with it.”

  Our noteHe was describing the minimal requirements to start a software project.

• minimalist product design

  “Personally, I've always been of the sleek and minimalist design school: make sure the core play is consistent and strong, then let that idea play out against different environments”

  Our noteHe was explaining his philosophy on game design and core mechanics.

• benefits of open source

  “Sharing the code just seems like The Right Thing to Do, it costs us rather little, but it benefits a lot of people in sometimes very significant ways.”

  Our noteHe was discussing the value of releasing software code to the public.

• root of software flaws

  “A large fraction of the flaws in software development are due to programmers not fully understanding all the possible states their code may execute in.”

  Our noteHe was talking about the importance of functional programming and state management.

• empirical decision making

  “If you aren't sure which way to do something, do it both ways and see which works better.”

  Our noteHe was advising on how to handle uncertainty in technical decisions.

• Learning through volume

  “When he was young, John Romero made a game for every letter of the alphabet. That was wise.”

  Our noteGiving advice on how to get into game design.

• Evolving opportunities

  “The 90s PC wave was great - I was happy to be there, and I'm glad I took a swing and knocked one out of the park with that. But since then, we've seen mobile games, and web games, and free-to-play games, the Steam revolution...and now virtual reality.”

  Our noteAccepting the BAFTA Fellowship and discussing industry changes.

• Avoid over engineering

  “It is hard for less experienced developers to appreciate how rarely architecting for future requirements / applications turns out net-positive.”

  Our noteReflecting on software architecture and development experience.