
The worst tool for the job - ColinWright
https://www.johndcook.com/blog/2020/07/25/worst-tool-for-the-job/
======
gk1
What a great principle. One of those things I've felt for a long time but
never express so well as John did.

This idea extends to many other things, like... sports equipment. Beginner
runners/bikers/skateboarders/whatever will not really feel the difference
between equipment that cost $100 and $1,000, so get the cheap one and use it
to (its) death. If you're still into the sport by then, go ahead and get the
nicer one. You'll actually appreciate the difference then and be happier, and
also know that you'll actually make good use of it.

Another interesting way to put it: Minimum Viable Tool.

~~~
tikhonj
This is harder than it sounds because the bottom of the market is often _well_
below a minimum viable level, to the point that you're actively making
learning _harder_ for yourself if you go there. You might not feel the
difference between $100 and $1000 shoes, but Walmart has $15 shoes which are
probably bad enough they make it harder to start running and learn proper
technique.

I've experienced this pretty directly with skis. If you get the cheapest boots
and skis you can, you'll find it harder to learn, to the point where your feet
hurt at the end of the day. I pretty much associated skiing with pain until I
got decent equipment. There is a level above which it isn't worth spending as
a beginner, but it's a level that looks high to people on the outside.

These days, I don't look for the cheapest tool I can find, I look for the
cheapest tool people seriously use—which is often 5–10 times more expensive
than the cheapest option. I've had enough experiences in the past sabotaging
my own progression with awful tools that I know it's not worth it.

~~~
Nacraile
I think this is kind of missing the "if it's inadequate" clause of the
heuristic. In your example, the painful boots were clearly inadequate, and by
the heuristic, it was time to upgrade to the best equipment you could afford
;)

Skiing does make for some examples of a couple weaknesses in the heuristic,
though:

First the "best equipment you can afford" part is pretty poorly defined.
Suitability of ski equipment is contingent on the skill of the skier and the
type of skiing, so you can't just pick the most expensive thing and expect it
to be the best for you. Skis are especially nasty in this regard in that the
most expensive equipment often makes performance trade-offs that are actively
hostile to beginners or use in the wrong conditions.

Additionally, ski equipment is consumable (at least in the hands of an
aggressive skiier), which largely invalidates the cost-optimization rationale
of the heuristic.

Skiing probably wants a somewhat modified heuristic, along the lines of "Start
with the cheapest tool, use it until it wears our or you find an intolerable
problem, and then choose a replacement that solves the problems with the
previous iteration."

~~~
dllthomas
> I think this is kind of missing the "if it's inadequate" clause of the
> heuristic.

I feel like you're running into an issue a lot of rules of thumb have, where
there are words that provide plenty enough wiggle room that the heuristic is
accurate... but if you know enough to know how they should be wiggled then you
don't need the heuristic.

------
klodolph
Eh, something to be said for mid-range too.

I have a 12v cordless drill. Ended up saving me tons of work over the years
but by no means either the best or the worst.

Musical instruments. The low-end ones tend to be true disasters.

Mid-range CPUs and GPUs are wonderful. Kitchen mixers, knives, screwdrivers,
soldering irons, drill presses, etc.

Plenty of times the worst tool is so obviously terrible that you probably
shouldn’t consider it. Sometimes the worst tool is dangerous, damages what
you’re working on, or has bad ergonomics.

Bicycles. All those $100 bike-shaped objects out there. You don’t need to
spend much more to get something comfortable that fits you and lasts a while.

~~~
eezurr
On Bicycles: I've ridden cheap bikes ( $<= 750 ) all my life. When you buy
cheap, you probably aren't purchasing something that is designed for your
height and width. They also begin to fall apart after a year (handle bar wrap
unwinding, beauty parts pop off, gears start to slip, chain derails). Tuneups
dont last long.

Yesterday I went to my local Trek store and rode a $2500 bike for the first
time, and it was a _joy_ to ride. I didn't know gear changes could be so
accurate/seamless/instant. First time I rode with disc brakes: I feel way more
in control when I need to stop at high speed. The frame fit my body perfectly.
Obviously the bike will wear down like cheaper bikes, but the difference is
night and day.

~~~
user5994461
A brand new bike can be as low as €100 highly dependent on current
availability and discounts. Cheap bikes are €100-200, maybe up to €250 for an
adult man mountain bike.

I'm shocked you'd call a $750 bike "cheap" when that's undeniably high end.

~~~
eezurr
[https://bicyclewarehouse.com/collections/road-
bikes?sort_by=...](https://bicyclewarehouse.com/collections/road-
bikes?sort_by=price-ascending)

New road bikes start around $700. Im shocked you can find new bikes for 100
euros!

~~~
user5994461
See here, the first adult road bike is at €260.

[https://www.decathlon.fr/p/velo-de-route-triban-
rc100-gris/_...](https://www.decathlon.fr/p/velo-de-route-triban-
rc100-gris/_/R-p-305831?mc=8545769)

They must have skimped on everything else to get a 100% aluminum road bike so
you're probably better off buying any other type of bike in this price range.

------
DizzyDoo
Sometimes using less-than-the-best tools directly leads to better products
with smoother development cycles. I'm an indie games developer and I develop
on a machine that is the 'Minimum Hardware Requirements' for my games. So, if
you visit the Steam page for my current game, the Minimum Requirements are
just the specs of my computer, which would be considered mid-range when I
built it in 2016, and now is very underpowered.

The plus-side to all of this is I _know_ my game runs well on lower spec
hardware. There's a confidence that I have that it'll perform decently on 99%
of computers and laptops/macbooks. If something runs slowly then I know I
can't fudge things in the release build by assuming/hoping it'll run okay on
the majority of computres, but I _also_ know that if I do need to optimise
something then it's not premature, unnecessary optimisation, which helps me
use my time properly.

~~~
bosie
Though this seems only relevant if running on lower spec hardware (mid range
2016 machines) is actually relevant to the product. If it isn't and customer
would rather have better graphics at a higher cost of running it, you are
developing against a metric of success which is unfortunately wrong.

~~~
WrtCdEvrydy
Alternatively, Factorio is known for being low powered enough a toaster can
run it.

Someone who can't afford a fancy computer can afford your game.

------
3pt14159
I do this a different way. I think about how much I'm going to use something
and try my best to over-invest in what is typically cheap and could last years
and under-invest (or avoid all together) in what is expensive or could last
less than a year.

Pen: Very expensive.

Sunglasses: Very expensive.

Phone: Very expensive.

Laptop: Very expensive.

Shoes / most clothing: Midrange, since they don't last long, but they're not
that expensive in the first place.

Car: Non-existent.

Housing: Far cheaper than I could afford.

Same thing when it comes to tools. I'll buy an expensive utility knife and a
cheap jackhammer. Unless I were going to jackhammer for a living, it isn't
used much and it's a reasonably expensive tool in the first place so why over
pay for it?

~~~
itsoktocry
> _Sunglasses: Very expensive._

This one is confusing. Sunglasses are 90% fashion. What exactly are you
getting with an expensive pair?

I take the opposite route. Cheap sunglasses that I'm unconcerned about
dropping, sitting on, or leaving behind.

~~~
klodolph
I have one pair of designer sunglasses that I picked up on sale. They are
_comfortable_ to the point that I can barely feel them. They also look really
good.

I also have a ton of $10 sunglasses from street vendors and online stores.

For my taste, all the mid-range sunglasses are super boring and make you look
boring. Great for going out and meeting other boring people. Everything cool
is either some cheapo monstrosity that you find from a street vendor or online
store for $10, or from a designer brand.

If you don’t care about fashion then go ahead and buy boring sunglasses.

~~~
Harlekuin
> all the mid-range sunglasses are super boring and make you look boring.
> Great for going out and meeting other boring people.

Found this comment rubbed me the wrong way - seems insane to me to judge the
boringness of a person by the price of their sunglasses

~~~
klodolph
> Found this comment rubbed me the wrong way - seems insane to me to judge the
> boringness of a person by the price of their sunglasses

You must be responding to how you feel, because you sure as hell aren’t
responding to what I wrote.

Allow me to explain my position.

Clothing is a form of communication. When you wear particular clothing, it
communicates which group you identify with or want to associate with.

Let’s suppose that we were having a conversation and you said to me, “I don’t
like to stand out, I like to blend in with the crowd and avoid being noticed.”
I might think that you were a bit boring. You can communicate the same thing
by wearing boring clothing.

What I’m doing is judging you based on the things that _you communicate to
me._ If you are bad at non-verbal communication, don’t worry about
accidentally coming off as boring—it’s very hard to communicate “boring” with
your clothing, and it doesn’t happen by accident.

~~~
Harlekuin
> You must be responding to how you feel, because you sure as hell aren’t
> responding to what I wrote.

I'm just responding to that quote from your last post.

> When you wear particular clothing, it communicates which group you identify
> with or want to associate with.

Agree to a point, but I don't think "Boring" is generally a group someone
would try to identify/associate with (I'm assuming you're using boring as a
derogatory term here). I also disagree that outgoingness is synonymous with
how interesting a person is (in fact I'm sure you'd agree there are many
instances of the contrary).

And outside of being "good" or "bad" at non-verbal communication you're
forgetting another important direction: people who do not care.

Take you for example - I find you very interesting because you have strong
opinions that differ to mine - It would have been a shame had I immediately
categorised you as boring given the sunglasses you were able to afford or if
you didn't care about sunglasses beyond their function.

~~~
klodolph
> I'm just responding to that quote from your last post.

You said, “seems insane to me to judge the boringness of a person by the price
of their sunglasses”

This is some kind of straw argument—to be clear, it’s not what I wrote, it’s
not what I meant, it’s not what I implied.

> And outside of being "good" or "bad" at non-verbal communication you're
> forgetting another important direction: people who do not care.

It is a mistake to think of “does not care” as some kind of meaningful third
position. It is not.

Here’s an analogy. Let’s say I ask you, “Did you take the last slice of cake?”
It’s a yes/no question with social stakes—maybe I’m upset that I didn’t get
any cake. Is there a way that you can avoid communicating a response to my
question? No, not really. You heard the question, I’m waiting for your
response. You can say yes or no, you can change the topic, you can dodge the
question, you can turn the question around, and you can even stay silent—but
it is nearly impossible for you to avoid making a _conscious decision to
communicate a response._

Clothing is like that, but the question is implied and the response is
nonverbal. Under ordinary circumstances, you _must_ choose how to dress
yourself. You can choose to grab whatever is on top of the pile, you can
choose to pick out an outfit, you can choose to go outside in your pajamas or
stark naked, but you cannot somehow choose not to make a choice.

Take a moment and visualize what “I don’t care how others see me” looks like.
Do you pick average clothing to blend in? Do you wear whatever you like? Do
you carefully observe gender norms when buying clothing from the store? Do you
wear whatever has the most pockets? Do you wear the same clothing sitting
around the house as you do when you visit a friend’s house? Do you wear
T-shirts with characters from your favorite cartoon? Do you wear something
from the pile of T-shirts I got for free from vendors at tech conventions?

The problem is—once you are aware that you are making a choice, you aren’t
really in a position to abdicate that choice.

------
tristor
I follow a completely opposite model. I research and learn as much as I can
about something before committing to it and get the best equipment I can
afford. Consequently, I’ve enjoyed all my hobbies over the years and find
myself going back to things often.

I have never regretted investing in quality tools. It’s not necessary to buy
the most expensive option, but prioritizing quality and ergonomics over price
is the right play (at least for me).

~~~
gk1
> I research and learn as much as I can about something before committing to
> it

For me, the time I end up spending on research and the mild stress I feel when
trying to make a decision is not worth it at the very beginning.

------
CM30
Yeah, got to agree with this article, and not just for the reason mentioned.

No, it's also because the best tool for an expert is often not the best tool
for an amateur, and an overly expensive solution that works well for a pro can
end up giving you terrible results when a newbie tries to use it. See for
instance, Magento, which is perfectly good as an eCommerce solution for large
companies with a full team of developers working on the site full time, but
will probably be overkill for a small mom and pop business with one far less
experienced guy doing the web deveopment side. Or high end audio/video
production equipment, which will probably be way too sensitive/finicky for
someone without much experience in the field.

------
nine_k
I agree that an ASCII diagram helps concentrate on the content by making the
attention to the irrelevant impossible.

But it's way clumsy and hard to edit when you need to change the text and move
the boxes because of that, making it... not the best tool for the job.

I would take Graphviz [1], or went to
[https://plantuml.com/](https://plantuml.com/) and drew a nicer diagram while
using fewer characters. Also, a much more easy to edit one.

So no, _don 't_ take "the worst tool for the job" unless you're masochistic.

Instead, realize _what the job is really about,_ what is important and what is
not, and then take the best tool for that important part, which would free you
from ever having to deal with the irrelevant details.

[1]:
[https://graphviz.org/Gallery/directed/hello.html](https://graphviz.org/Gallery/directed/hello.html)

~~~
jerf
"But it's way clumsy and hard to edit when you need to change the text and
move the boxes because of that, making it... not the best tool for the job."

Original article says "I’m not doing this completely bare-knuckles. Emacs has
tools like artist-mode that make it easier than manually positioning every
character." See:
[https://youtu.be/cIuX87Xo8Fc?t=149](https://youtu.be/cIuX87Xo8Fc?t=149)

~~~
nine_k
This is good, but again this is a solution like using a vector drawing
program, only on a slightly weirder canvas. You still care about what your
boxes look like, and fiddle with them.

Graphviz removes this concern. You say "I want a chart with nodes connected
like so", and `dot` provides just that.

------
mrzool
Surprised nobody mentioned draw.io[1] so far. John should give it a try :)

1: [https://www.draw.io/](https://www.draw.io/)

------
keithnz
This guidance is what I like to think of as something to help shape ones
mindset rather than a golden law. It can help you make a choice for lack of
better information. But there maybe better ways to make a choice if you have
better information.

Also I notice a number of people seem to be mistaking the article as saying
buying the "Best". But it's actually best you can afford, which puts a lot of
people in the midrange. The word "afford" gives you a lot of wiggle room about
what that exactly means for you.

The other thing I think is important that many people are bringing up is for
domain X then the cheapest you will fail or have a hard time (ie, they have
better information). But the guidance ISN'T that buying the cheapest will work
out fine for you, it is directly saying it may not work out at all, so, you
should fail quick on "tools" that are not working out or are problematic. So
it's trying to help you converge on a solution for lack of better information.
Because there is plenty of domain Ys where the cheapest will work out fine for
the limited use you have.

------
soneca
I have a similar rule of thumb for learning to code: never buy educational
content (video, course, books) if you can't evaluate the value of that content
by yourself. The outcome is learning a lot from free content (there is a lot
of it out there for software development) until you know precisely what do you
need to learn in more depth and which is the resource that has it.

The difference is that in software development educational resources, the
cheapest ones are not necessarily the worst. There is almost no correlation
between quality and price in most topics. So the phrasing would be more like
_" Start with the cheapest resource for the topic"_ (which most of the time
means free).

I used this principle myself while learning to code and it worked out great. I
could get a good first job as a frontend developer without buying any learning
resource (freecodecamp.org + official documentation + posts/tutorials + stack
overflow).

If you can't evaluate for yourself if something is worth buying, and have to
trust another person of its value, you are not ready for that content yet.

------
bogdanoff_2
This reminds me of Nassim Taleb's barbell strategy.

Basically, combine a low-risk strategy with a high-risk-high-reward strategy
and avoid medium risk. That way, if the high-risk strategy fails, you won't be
completely ruined, but if the high-risk strategy succeeds, you'll have a big
reward.

------
PaulHoule
The "job" here is drawing diagrams that describe a set of interrelated parts
and Adobe Illustrator is _not_ a tool for that job.

The first thing you need to make the kind of illustrations he's making are the
ability to automatically route the lines in a way that doesn't look
embarrassingly bad. (Not the Bezier curves that Powerpoint comes with)

The other problem is how to lay out the boxes so that the diagram tells a
story and that is a matter of elbow grease and having pride in your work.

All of the time somebody shows us a hairball of 10^6 nodes that have 10^8
connections or so and expects to get praise for it. If the culprit is lucky
they might make the cover of Scientific American or something, but nobody is
the wiser after looking at that type of diagram.

------
potta_coffee
Valid reasoning but I've encountered some situations where you definitely
don't want the cheapest possible object when starting out. For instance, when
I was learning guitar, at the time, the cheapest guitars were junk and
wouldn't stay in tune and had other problems that affected one's ability to
use them to practice music. A more expensive instrument is worth it because a
beginner stuck with the absolutely lowest tier instrument may never get
started because it's so bad. I still think it's wise to get a modest
instrument though.

~~~
titanomachy
Yeah, I found the same thing with bikes. I hated riding bikes until someone
gave me a used but nice road bike. It was an entirely different activity than
riding the cheap, heavy bike I had before.

------
rosshemsley
"if you need a tool, buy the cheapest one you can find. If it’s inadequate, or
breaks, or you use it a lot, then buy the best one you can afford"

I don't know how I feel about this... The unsaid thing here is that you will
end up landfilling the broken or inadequate tool and buy twice what you need.

These days, if I'm going to put money into buying material goods, I feel they
have to meet at least a minimal "this isn't going to end up in landfill after
the first time I use it" bar.

A lot of cheap tools barely meet this level, sadly...

------
adregan
Interestingly, no one asked me what software I used when I created diagrams in
the vector graphics app sketch[0], but once I started using ascii diagrams
using monodraw[1], everyone wanted to know what I was using.

I find the aesthetic extremely "precious;" that's why I do it. Affectations
are memorable.

0: [https://www.sketch.com/](https://www.sketch.com/) 1:
[https://monodraw.helftone.com/](https://monodraw.helftone.com/)

~~~
jabroni_salad
ASCIIflow is nice if you want something that can run on a not-mac. Typing out
your ascii is a little tedious. I would rather freehand it in mspaint.

[http://asciiflow.com/](http://asciiflow.com/)

------
den01100100
I play bass, and my advice for people who are new to an instrument is to
invest a bit of money. (For bass guitar, this means spending $250-$350 for
your first guitar).

You can buy a bass for under $100, but many of these guitars cannot be set up
properly. The strings sit really high, so you need to apply a lot of pressure
to play (the alternative being that they buzz against the frets).

Learning on an instrument like that adds a lot of frustration. What's worse,
it can teach you a lot of bad habits, like over-gripping.

------
vmurthy
The article hits the nail on the head .. somewhat. I've found that asking a
slightly deeper level question more helpful personally. In the article's
example : What are we trying to do ? Show a diagram. While it is tempting to
ask "What tool should I use", perhaps it is worthwhile thinking "What is the
deeper need here"? If it is communicating with stakeholders (duh), can I get
away with a pencil sketch and digitise them? This way, I have shaved a bunch
of time learning ASCII tools or Adobe Illustrator. Kind of fits in with my
(borrowed) mindset of "Doing things that don't scale" [0]

Of course, if I find myself doing pencil sketches all the time , it is
worthwhile investigating better ways.

[0] [https://www.inc.com/business-insider/paul-grahams-counter-
in...](https://www.inc.com/business-insider/paul-grahams-counter-intuitive-
startup-advice-do-things-that-dont-
scale.html#:~:text=Paul%20Graham%3A%20%27Do%20Things%20That%20Don%27t%20Scale%27%201,single%20user.%206%20Don%27t%20have%20a%20big%20launch).

------
commandlinefan
When coding in Java, I usually start with a shell script that compiles the
code rather than, say, a POM or a Gradle build - I don't upgrade to a
dedicated build system until a) the shell script becomes more trouble than
it's worth or b) I have to share with somebody else. There's something to be
said for having complete control over every aspect of the build.

~~~
lmm
I disagree. Having complete control just gives you the chance to micromanage
build steps and get bogged down in the details.

I start with the most minimal POM possible - just listing dependencies - and
firmly resist any custom build steps or even custom configuration. That way
everything is standard, my build will be cross-platform and IDE-agnostic, and
anyone else who picks up the codebase can immediately understand the build and
be productive.

If I absolutely need some custom build step, then I'll go all the way to
making a proper, first-class maven plugin. I'll write it in proper production-
quality Java with unit tests, code coverage and all the rest of it.

IMO customising build steps in a scripting language (whether that's shell,
Gradle, or even something like Python) is exactly the middle ground that you
want to avoid. You can waste lots of time fiddling with how your build is
structured, and it's still going to be less maintainable.

------
gumby
A more practical example than his (ascii drawing) is: always use the system
libraries when writing code. “But vector/map/... has too much overhead!” Naah,
getting your code working is the hard part. Only if the code survives is it
worth looking to see if the standard String code is costing you a lot, which
case you can replace it.

------
bob1029
I don't know about worst tool. I would prefer to just say most expedient or
accessible tool for the job. Something that you can hack together in 5 minutes
that gets the spirit of the task accomplished and doesn't lock you in on
something more heavy-handed.

The key with it being accessible or expedient is that you can iterate at a
higher frequency. If you start with a tool that is legitimately terrible just
for the sake of saving money, you may end up sacrificing more time than you
otherwise would have wanted to on something slightly more expensive.

There is a balance across lots of variables here. For me, the biggest concern
is turnaround time on features. In some cases, taking weeks to do it right is
the best option. In others, continuing to string along the hacky approach is
best. Long term vs short term concerns. It's impossible to come up with 1 rule
for everything unless you want to leave a lot of productivity on the table.

------
fatbird
The same idea goes for art supplies. When you're learning to paint, the cheap
paints are good enough for your skill level while you learn the basics; when
you understand why your paints are the cheap paints, you'll understand the
value of the expensive paints in a way you couldn't before.

------
ccanassa
I usually buy the best tool that I can afford, my reasoing is:

\- This forces me to research first, if I am dropping €500 on a new piece of
woodworking equiment I want to make sure that's not going to be wasted.

\- There is a better market for used expensive tools and they can sell for a
even higher price than a new one (I am looking at you Festool Domino)

\- I pet my expensive tools. The cheap stuff just get throw around and get
lost.

\- There is a argument about buying a cheap one first and then once it breaks
you get a better one. That doesn't really work for me, several of these cheap
tools can last for ages.

\- Good tools requires less skill to use; they just do their job. With cheap
tools you have to account not only your lack of skill but also deviations
introduced by the tool.

------
toto444
As a data scientist I interpret this as : if you can do it in SQL, do it in
SQL. Once you really can't improve your, say, recommendation engine with SQL
move to ML/DL.

And sometimes it is better not to know anything about deep learning because
the tech debt is not worth it it the medium term.

------
arh68
I think an analogy is for buying any tool T, buy your first T at Harbor
Freight, then for your replacement T maybe look for a Makita/Milwaukee/&c or
even Snap-On/MAC. For many kinds of tools, this seems sensible to me.

Exception to the rule being safety equipment.

------
loxs
I did this (unkowingly) with photography equipment. Didn't work out.

1\. I started with a "nice" bridge camera - the Panasonic Lumix LX100. I liked
shooting with it but I quickly hit its limitations and because I loved
photography...

2\. decided to go full-frame and I bought the Canon EOS RP. Now I'm completely
overwhelmed with all the gear, the huge lenses, tripods etc. I definitely
shoot less than with the Lumix, as now shooting requires much more ritual and
forethought.

In hindsight I should have bought a Micro Four-Thirds interchangeable lens
camera, as I was absolutely content with the quality of the Lumix, just wanted
a "faster" system with better controls.

~~~
CarbyAu
I followed much the same path as you. And then I did buy the Micro Four Thirds
camera for an overseas holiday.

It was better enough to satisfy my craving for manual settings and RAW output.
But it was bulky enough for it to be a decision "to take it" anywhere and
expensive enough not to leave in the glovebox/bag/convenient-nearby-place. Ok
compromise for travelling for the DLSR types but maybe the fullframe sony rx1
would've been better.

But wife can pick up almost any camera and instantly make a much better
picture than me. I suck at composition. Or I am biased towards my wife. Who
knows.

Either way, I ditched it all and now just use the smartphone(Open Camera), but
try to get better at composition...

------
VBprogrammer
I have a decently expensive Bahco socket set. I find that because it's
expensive I always know where it is in the house, I never leave it behind in
the shed when I move, I always make sure each tool goes back in its proper
place after I've done with it.

I tend to find that I treat cheap tools with a lot less care and attention.
Flaws in their design (e.g. susceptibility to rust) takes care of the rest.

Maybe it's just a quirk of my personality but I'd have spent almost as much
replacing cheap tools. Besides, it cost about two hours worth of labour at
hourly rates in my area so one decent job and it's paid for itself.

------
TheRealNGenius
He might have read this from Adam Savage. This is as close as I can find
[https://twitter.com/donttrythis/status/941149124497305600](https://twitter.com/donttrythis/status/941149124497305600)
or here in the reply? to the tweet (i don't use twitter)
[https://twitter.com/scottcale/status/941310140392857601](https://twitter.com/scottcale/status/941310140392857601)

------
teepo
This is why I love using Emacs. It's great for one-off tasks, super
customizable, and yet easily replaced by the _right tool_ when needed.

------
Swizec
This extends to software.

Don’t start by building an app. Start with a spreadsheet. Figure out every
step, get it real ironed out. Do manual work if you have to.

Only when you’re certain tht your idea solves a real problem and your magic
spreadsheet is killing your will to live, _then_ write code and make a real
thing.

Too often people jump into building only to realize they have no idea what
they need or that their idea isn’t needed.

~~~
PaulHoule
There are millions of magic spreadsheets that kill people's will to live, lead
businesses to make billion dollar bad decisions, etc. (We need weapons of mass
construction, but spreadsheets-as-we-know-them are weapons of mass
destruction.)

~~~
Swizec
Billion dollar spreadsheet is a little late. Build real code around the 100k
level

~~~
wruza
This is a great advice, but the human nature prevents two things. First, you
never do it at the right time. Second, you cut corners which would heavily
affect the ease or even a possibility of such transition. I spent half my work
life unfucking spreadsheets into databases and usually it is nuances and
misstructure all the way down. You have to be a genius software developer and
a master of discipline to be able to turn your sheets to code in zero years.
Add some collaborators and it's over. The ability to make a formula in a cell
instead of a column is a formula for disaster.

If I was looking for the worst tool for a poor man's ERP, I would consider
phpMyAdmin or a similar "data studio" tool, but not a spreadsheet. There are
plenty, all ready for a frontend to be written in place of them.

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gwbas1c
Reminds me about how a lot of early Dropbox diagrams were just pencil sketches
scanned and touched up. Someone had better things to do.

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superlopuh
A related principle: when given a choice between a subscription and a one-off
purchase always take the subscription until you've paid the price of the
object. Most of the time I cancel the subscription, so the principle pays for
itself in amortized cost, and I spend at most twice as much money in the worst
case

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bborud
There is one case where going for a bad tool can be risky: when the cost of
migrating away from it grows over time.

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Pamar
I totally second this and I have been doing something similar for decades, for
any kind of tool/equipment.

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mikeruhl
I use this for tools. From Harbor Freight to Dewalt if I use it. Anyways, in
the author's context, I've been using Miro.com for all of my diagrams. I love
it. If you ever want to upgrade from ASCII art, check it out!

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drol3
I like the idea. Not sure it works on its own, but something like "Investment
in tools should be proportionate to your knowledge about the domain" seems
reasonable.

Beginner? Pick an cheap tool. Expert? pick the best tool :)

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cesaref
I'm not happy with the premise that 'best' means 'most expensive' as i'm
pretty sure anyone involved with software will undoubtably know - Oracle
anyone? :)

~~~
pydry
There's a definite link between aggressive sales and how terrible a product
is.

~~~
agustif
The shittier the product the more agressive sales people are required to sell
it?

~~~
pydry
I'm not sure which necessarily comes first but yes.

------
randtrain34
[https://app.diagrams.net/](https://app.diagrams.net/) is the modern version
of ascii diagrams

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timwaagh
Dunno. If you'd need a slightly better tool than ASCII, perhaps Adobe would
still be a ridiculous answer.

------
peacefulhat
You don't have to do this because there are often good recommendations for
cheap tools.

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TLightful
Decent. Reminds me of the timed I designed a decent part of our house in
Excel.

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pgt
I recall Jason Fried talking about he uses a fat whiteboard marker (as opposed
to a thin marker) during concept design sessions to resist the temptation to
start working on details too early.

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jibbit
I believe it is Stewart Brand’s maxim

