Mitchell Hashimoto on TDM Motivations
Mitchell Hashimoto, in a conversation about the Redis homepage design, characterized 90% of Technical Decision Makers (TDMs) as primarily motivated by avoiding termination. He described them as 9-to-5 workers who never think about work outside hours, following secular trends supported by analysts and public sentiment. Hashimoto cited Gartner's emphasis on 'AI strategy' and McKinsey's focus on 'context management' as examples driving decisions like purchasing a 'Context Engine for AI Apps' for defensibility. The quotation was collected by Simon Willison and posted on 12th May 2026.
Key facts
- Mitchell Hashimoto made a statement about TDMs.
- 90% of TDMs are motivated by not getting fired.
- TDMs follow secular trends supported by analysts.
- Gartner said 'AI strategy' is most important.
- McKinsey said 'context' needs to be managed.
- Hashimoto referenced 'Context Engine for AI Apps'.
- The quotation was collected by Simon Willison.
- Posted on 12th May 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Mitchell Hashimoto
- Simon Willison
Institutions
- Gartner
- McKinsey