Breed You A Snake

Never On The Test - ska - 3:34

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Song Background/Inspiration

Centuries ago, a colonial government tried to solve its cobra problem by paying a bounty for dead snakes - so people started breeding cobras to cash in, and when the bounty ended they set the snakes loose, leaving the city worse off than before. Breed You A Snake tells that old fable and then tells it again, almost note for note, in the present day: a company puts up a leaderboard rewarding AI usage, developers burn through the budget gaming the metric, and the numbers look spectacular while nothing real gets done. It is a song about perverse incentives - the iron law that the moment you reward a measure instead of the thing itself, people will hand you exactly what you asked for and nothing you actually wanted. Pay a bounty for the body, and they will breed you a snake.

Lyrics

Long ago in an old empire town Too many cobras slithering 'round So the governor stood and made it plain"A coin for every dead snake you can claim" Well the people got clever, the people got slick Started breeding the snakes to cash in quick Then they killed the bounty, and quick as a wink They freed all the snakes - left the town on the brink You get what you pay for Not the thing you meant Aim it at the number Watch the whole thing bend It's the cobra effect The bounty's on the kill So they breed 'em even faster Than you ever could bill You wanted fewer snakes, friend But here's the trade you make Pay good money for the body And they'll breed you a snake (The cobra effect) Now the boss wants the future, wants it fast Threw a leaderboard up on the glass"Most AI used is the name of the game Top of the board, we'll carve in your name" Well the devs got clever, the devs got slick Burned a million tokens just to pad the tick Then the budget caught fire, and quick as a wink Top of the board - but the ship's gonna sink You get what you pay for Not the thing you meant Aim it at the number Watch the whole thing bend It's the cobra effect The bounty's on the kill So they breed 'em even faster Than you ever could bill You wanted fewer snakes, friend But here's the trade you make Pay good money for the body And they'll breed you a snake (The cobra effect) When a measure turns into a target It stops telling you the truth You point a prize at a shadow You get a room full of proof That whatever you reward, you'll get So you better want the thing 'Cause they're not chasing the mission They're chasing the ring It's the cobra effect The bounty's on the kill So they breed 'em even faster Than you ever could bill You wanted fewer snakes, friend But here's the trade you make Pay good money for the body And they'll breed you a snake The cobra effect The cobra effect ..and they'll breed you a snake.