Insert Disk 1

Dave’s Laws

Each memory ends on one card: the thing that chapter taught me. Here they all are.

1. Prologue · The Ham SandwichMake it lastThe good bits go quicker than you think. Take small bites and have a look round in between.
2. Disk 1 · Type-InCheck the DATA linesIt's never the clever bit that breaks. It's the boring bit you rushed, so check every number, and don't be too proud to get your mum.
3. Disk 2 · We Made Our OwnMake your ownIf you can't buy the thing, make it. Yours will be worse in every way except the ones that matter.
4. Disk 3 · The Carpet SeaKeep the notebook openEvery argument I lost taught me a line. Write them down, and one day you'll have an answer for all of them.
5. Disk 4 · Track & FieldGive it everythingSome things are worth wearing out. If the joystick survives, you weren't really trying.
6. Disk 5 · Because I CouldNobody's stopping youI planned for a technician, a password and a telling-off, and none of them turned up. Most of what stops you is the plan for being stopped.
7. Disk 6 · Skip IntroDo the boring bit tooDoing your own thing is how you find out what you're good at. It doesn't get you out of the exam.
8. Disk 7 · Walking OutKnow where the door isYou should still listen. But once you've really heard it, you're allowed to get up and go and build something.
9. Disk 8 · No ReloadDon't wait for all of itNobody wants everything at once after a long wait. Send the first good thing the moment you have it, and keep it coming.
10. Disk 9 · The Ball PondNothing happened, and that was the pointSome of the best days are the ones where you don't do anything. Get in the ball pond, and stay there.
11. Disk 10 · Panda UpdateAsk for sweetsKeep the war friendly and the ransom small enough to eat. A demand nobody can meet isn't a prank; it's just a panda in a cupboard.
12. Now · NowStill hungryGet somewhere you like, then sit on the step for a bit. The view of where you started is better than you'd think.