Classically-trained software engineers are used to clear problem statements and success criteria. Need a mobile front-end for your blog? Sure! Support instant messaging for a million concurrent users? No problem!

Unfortunately, modern software poses challenges that we have a hard time with: those with no clear criteria for correctness and no easy way to measure performance. Your blog platform better have a spam filter, your chat has to have search; neither is trivial nor obvious.

In this talk I'll share my experiences of learning to deal with non-deterministic problems, what made the process easier for me and what I've learned along the way. With any luck, you'll have an easier time of it!