Ask HN: Can someone explain this pg tweet to me?

[arikr]

The tweet is: https://twitter.com/paulg/status/823304393273573383 "One of the most interesting places to look for new ideas are the edge cases where deeply ingrained desires are mistaken."

"Could you provide an example Paul?"

"The desire for software to be efficient."

Is he saying that people think they want software to be efficient, but they actually want software that solves problems, and therefore you can find good ideas in making software that solves problems? I'm pretty sure I still haven't interpreted it correctly.

[shermanyo]

I see it as mistaking software for the subject.

I'd guess a lot of people think the above, when they actually want "software that makes _them_ more efficient."

For example, it may be more efficient for the software to break up screens into tabbed views, but certain users may find a single screen covered in controls more efficient when actually working day to day.

[severine]

He's being ambiguous, I'm pretty sure there's not a correct interpretation. That said, I'd like to see where the conversation goes from here...