THE ENGINEERING NOTEBOOK
Design for the second run
Questions to ask before turning a repeated task into automation.
Portfolio notes · General engineering guidance, not a report of client results.
Define completion
Write down what a completed record looks like and where that result is stored. Distinguish a successful run with zero results from a run that failed before collecting anything.
Expect interruption
Think about retries, duplicate records, and partial progress. If the task runs again, decide whether it resumes, replaces data, or starts a new batch. Make that choice visible in the design.
Leave useful evidence
Record enough context to investigate failures without logging secrets or unnecessary personal data. Track a run identifier and meaningful counts rather than treating a final “done” message as sufficient evidence.