777-1: Doubtful Prisca Has Concerns. I'm Doing It Anyway.
Published: December 9, 2025 • 5 min read
I know, I know. I promised I was going to introduce the seven projects for the 777-1 Experiment, but this blog post is really important before I begin.
You see, there's this teeny tiny voice in my head that has gotten progressively louder since the day I declared I was going to do this experiment. In this blog post, I'm going to tell you everything she's saying. The point is to show that she's been heard, acknowledged, but ultimately ignored.
The Vision Questions
The Voice: You want to build an algorithm? So what exactly is that "algorithm" or the final app going to look like? Are you even sure of that?
Me: To be honest, I don't know 100%. I have a vague idea of what it would look like and the picture keeps forming slowly as I take steps towards it. But I don't see a clear picture yet.
The Voice: Umm, don't you know that there's probably something out there by now that does what you're trying to do?
Me: Honestly, you might be right. I've actually been scared to look that up. But at the same time, I still think the work I'm doing is important. Even if I fail, I'm going to learn so much from it.
The Voice: If you don't see a clear picture, why don't you stick to doing what you're already good at, building applications?
Me: I've built so many applications just this year alone between my work on Outlier and this portfolio. I worry that building applications is no longer a high-demand skill. However, building sophisticated, fully-functional applications in really short time frames should continue to remain valuable. That's what I hope the 777-1 Experiment helps me build a system for.
The Practical Concerns
The Voice: But you have projects on this website that are still incomplete. Don't you think you should tackle those first?
Me: Ahh, you're right. Hmm, I don't know. I wrote about how chaotic I thought my website was and it honestly worries me sometimes. However, I just have a feeling that I should attempt this first... even if it doesn't succeed.
The Voice: You know that you only have 4 more days to the end of your SDR Era, right? Are you trying to finish the algorithm in just 4 days?
Me: Honestly, I don't know. Probably not. I really don't want to sacrifice quality trying to meet that deadline. But I do hope I have most of the 7 case studies that are supposed to be part of this experiment ready by then. It doesn't matter if it's all complete by then or not. Starting now would give me momentum, which is what I need.
The Voice: Hmm, but you just learned about tokens and context engineering and it significantly changed the trajectory of this experiment. Have you not considered that there's probably a lot more you still don't know about?
Me: Yes, yes I have considered that. But I worry that doing more research will send me down a rabbit hole of researching endlessly without taking action. I want to start with what I know. It'll probably fail, but when it does, the insights from the failure should help me narrow down exactly what else I need to learn.
The Fears I Don't Like Admitting
The Voice: You keep talking about how important this experiment is and waiting until the end of your SDR Era to start job applications. But it's been over a week since you spoke to your best friends about the work you're doing and none of them have even taken the time to come look at it. Don't you think it's about time you reassess and stop all these?
Me: Shut up. My friends are busy and they're also not my ultimate target audience. I'm sure they'll eventually come see it. It's also okay if they don't. Plus, still not getting any feedback from this portfolio project is probably doing more good than harm to me.
The Voice: Hmm, I don't know. If I were you, I'd just stop now. Can you imagine the amount of insults you could get on the internet when smarter programmers see that you "attempted to build an algorithm" that ultimately failed?
Me: Well for one, I'm glad you're not me. I'm glad you're just a voice in my head. And about the insults, I have Isaac Ledger on my team now. He's my CGAO. He'll help me extract lessons from whatever criticism I get and I should be fine.
The Voice: Hmm, I don't know. I still think this is a waste of your time. There's a reason why applications that allow people to build websites rapidly without code exist. Please find a better way to use your time.
Me: You're right. Those apps exist. But this experiment is supposed to create a learning experience for me ultimately. I still want to do it regardless of what tools already exist. I'm going to do it!
The Verdict
Well, that's all she's been saying so far. But I'm going to start this experiment regardless.
Coming up next, the 7 projects for the 777-1 Experiment...
As always, thanks for reading!