I worked on the Go compiler for a couple of years, and it wasn't a big deal. We just thought carefully about things, and dealt with a lot of rejection of ideas. If we couldn't make it fit, it wasn't right, and we'd try again. If we still couldn't make it fit, we probably didn't have a good handle on the problem, and it was right to stew on it longer.

Frankly, I truly appreciated working with people who thought carefully and tried to make sure the right ideas were in. I appreciated Russ being a BDFL, Ian, Rob, and Rob. I'm glad I did it, and it made me a much better engineer.