

Seth Godin: Hammer Time - jnaut
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/11/hammer-time.html

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lecha
A nice point, but isn't this post a bit hollow? After all, you'd expect
someone like Seth Godin to put forward a well-supported argument about a
radically new approach (new hammer) and its benefits?

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greyman
>> A nice point, but isn't this post a bit hollow?

It is, but I find all of Seth's posts are this way. He is good at formulating
ideas which seems obvious after you read them. ;-) But I don't consider him
being some deep thinker who could put forward some "radically new approach".

~~~
Tichy
It is astrology for intellectuals.

~~~
billswift
Academia (mostly) is astrology for intellectuals; management is astrology for
not-quite-intellectuals.

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martian
There's a long tail for hammers.

The massive burst in innovation that we've seen in the past several decades is
caused by a bunch of people making a bunch of new hammers for a bunch of
different problem types. In addition, there are certain hammers -- like
statistical methods or X-rays or computer networking -- that can be applied to
a ranging scope of problems that no one ever predicted before.

Seth is right, you have to find the right tool for the job. But your job is
also to imagine and construct a new hammer.

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joshu
Not a bad point. People tend to solve problems in the way that they tend to
build problems (tautologically.)

At least in my own experience, engineers tend to solve problems by building
things to solve the problems. Sometimes the answer is to remove parts until
those problems don't exist.

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stcredzero
"Metaprogramming" in its various forms is often about switching tools to the
most appropriate one. Instead of opening that can with only a hammer, you
first fabricate a screwdriver.

(Disclaimer: I advocate metaprogramming. Also humor.)

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jauco
You shouldn't fabricate a screwdriver! You should fabricate a screwdriver
building factory

[http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.219431....](http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.219431.62)

~~~
anonjon
You shouldn't fabricate a screwdriver building factory! you should fabricate a
tool fabrication factory factory!

~~~
stcredzero
Ah, just have a go at the whole late 19th century equivalent industrial
infrastructure. It'll be fun!

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benmathes
Neat base idea, but the blog post is just business porn. He's just restating
the old adage about getting stuck in ruts.

The key skills is being able to tell when you're stuck using hammer because
it's what you're familiar with, and he doesn't discuss that at all.

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ian00
"One study found "... citation needed.

