Flowcharts of Folly

Within these pages lies a satirical triptych of corporate existence, an anthropological study, if you will, of that most curious habitat: the engineering department.

Meet Angus, the engineering purist whose skepticism borders on the pathological. A brilliant troublemaker whose commitment to technical integrity is matched only by his ability to derail a meeting with a well-timed "actually..." He's not being difficult; he's simply maintaining standards that the rest of us mere mortals cannot comprehend.

Then there's Moira, process devotee extraordinaire, who navigates professional life via an intricate network of flowcharts and documentation. Ask her why something is done a particular way, and you'll receive a binder-tabbed explanation though perhaps not an understanding. Her religion? The company handbook. Her bible? The project management software.

Finally, behold Callum, our reluctant pragmatist, secretly following protocols while maintaining the carefully cultivated appearance of casual competence. He treads the middle path with the precision of a tightrope walker, perpetually concerned that someone might discover he actually read the email thread in its entirety.

Together, they form the triumvirate of technical temperaments that populate every engineering team from Silicon Valley to Singapore. Their daily adventures replete with passive-aggressive Slack messages, existential stand-ups, and the occasional sprint planning mutiny offer not just entertainment, but perhaps a mirror in which we might, uncomfortably, recognize ourselves.