Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin
To Those About to Hack (kirit.com)
10 points by nickb on July 8, 2007 | hide | past | favorite | 6 comments


Abraham Lincolns: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."

This post: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first seven bartering for the perfect tree."

Abe would have been my apprentice. The Woodsman can have Ben.


Hear, hear. You hire the apprentice, not their product. Transpose the profession to fishing and see what proverb comes to mind.

But you know what, life is not about fairy-tale contests and it's not about perfect products. Here's my story for you, the woodsman's nephew came into town and Abe, George, Ben and their buddy Thomas Jefferson all had to go home with their hands in their pockets. But the sun still rose the next day. The end.

To those about to hack, to experiment, to try and fail, I salute you. Get out there. Fail quickly and often in order that you may understand, adapt and improve. That's what really matters.


The first time I read this post I couldn't quite understand it. What does it mean exactly? look for a master programmer to do the work for you instead of learning how to master the craft yourself?


There's an explanation at the end that it means "Know your users." Was that explanation there when you read it?


You need to read the post linked to at the beginning first or it won't make any sense.


I did and I still have trouble grasping it lol.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: