3 ms·

Does not work with surgeons and ice cream scoops. Or several other things.

YuriNiyazov 18y ago
The article doesn't say that good tools don't help - the article says that you will not become a good "insert anything here" if all you have are great tools and no innate ability or vision. In other words - if I am not a good runner, then having expensive orthopedic sneakers while I am running will not do me much good. If I am a good runner, then having those sneakers will make me better.
- mynameishere 18y ago
  you will not become a good "insert anything here" if all you have are great tools and no innate ability or vision. Yeah. I know. But that's pretty well-understood. I don't think anyone ever thought that. No one really thinks, "Good tools==success". And so we are again faced with the typical 37signals blog entry, the shtick of which is to state humdrum truisms to a galley of fawning fanboys, who litter the comment section with love unlimited. But, as usual, they somehow still manage to deviate from more strongly stated opinions, What do hackers want? Like all craftsmen, hackers like good tools. In fact, that's an understatement. Good hackers find it unbearable to use bad tools. They'll simply refuse to work on projects with the wrong infrastructure. True, yes? All craftsmen demand the best tools, and there's no harm in having them, or refining them, or arguing over their merits.
astine 18y ago
Really? The best scalpel in the world won't make you a good surgeon. Or, at least, it won't make me a good surgeon. I don't about you.
- william42 18y ago
  I wouldn't want the best surgeon in the world using a clotheshanger and a steak knife, though.
  - aofstad 18y ago
    True, but that might still be better than the worst surgeon in the world with the best equipment.
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    - william42 18y ago
      The worst surgeon in the world would probably be a very skilled surgeon that is actively trying to hurt you.
  - pwk 18y ago
    "I wouldn't want the best surgeon in the world using a clotheshanger and a steak knife, though." I'd prefer that over being operated on by a monkey in a fully stocked OR. The surgeon will probably know enough to correctly weigh the risk of doing surgery with poor tools against not doing surgery at all.
    - william42 18y ago
      They wouldn't let a monkey into a fully stocked OR unless it was the one being operated on. By the time you reach the level of competence to be allowed to operate an OR, the tools probably end up mattering more than individual variance in ability.
  - netcan 18y ago
    Would you prefer me with an scalpel?
    - william42 18y ago
      I'd prefer a med student with a scalpel.

The article doesn't say that good tools don't help - the article says that you will not become a good "insert anything here" if all you have are great tools and no innate ability or vision. In other words - if I am not a good runner, then having expensive orthopedic sneakers while I am running will not do me much good. If I am a good runner, then having those sneakers will make me better.

mynameishere 18y ago
you will not become a good "insert anything here" if all you have are great tools and no innate ability or vision. Yeah. I know. But that's pretty well-understood. I don't think anyone ever thought that. No one really thinks, "Good tools==success". And so we are again faced with the typical 37signals blog entry, the shtick of which is to state humdrum truisms to a galley of fawning fanboys, who litter the comment section with love unlimited. But, as usual, they somehow still manage to deviate from more strongly stated opinions, What do hackers want? Like all craftsmen, hackers like good tools. In fact, that's an understatement. Good hackers find it unbearable to use bad tools. They'll simply refuse to work on projects with the wrong infrastructure. True, yes? All craftsmen demand the best tools, and there's no harm in having them, or refining them, or arguing over their merits.

astine 18y ago

Really? The best scalpel in the world won't make you a good surgeon. Or, at least, it won't make me a good surgeon. I don't about you.

william42 18y ago
I wouldn't want the best surgeon in the world using a clotheshanger and a steak knife, though.
- aofstad 18y ago
  True, but that might still be better than the worst surgeon in the world with the best equipment.
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  - william42 18y ago
    The worst surgeon in the world would probably be a very skilled surgeon that is actively trying to hurt you.
- pwk 18y ago
  "I wouldn't want the best surgeon in the world using a clotheshanger and a steak knife, though." I'd prefer that over being operated on by a monkey in a fully stocked OR. The surgeon will probably know enough to correctly weigh the risk of doing surgery with poor tools against not doing surgery at all.
  - william42 18y ago
    They wouldn't let a monkey into a fully stocked OR unless it was the one being operated on. By the time you reach the level of competence to be allowed to operate an OR, the tools probably end up mattering more than individual variance in ability.
- netcan 18y ago
  Would you prefer me with an scalpel?
  - william42 18y ago
    I'd prefer a med student with a scalpel.