[dpiers]

| when I come across an article like this one, and recall my youthful naivety and enthusiasm, I do worry if I haven't perhaps lost something more important.

A very skilled young carpenter spends 8 hours making a table, which is a perfectly sound and functional, and is proud of his work.

A very skilled master carpenter spends 250 hours making a table, which is one of the finest ever crafted, and is proud of his work.

Someone tasks both carpenters with creating a table in 10 hours. The first carpenter does so and tells them it is the finest table he has ever made. The second carpenter does so and tells them it was the best he could do in only 10 hours.

Which table do you believe will be of higher quality? Has the second carpenter "lost something more important" along the way?

[elliottkember]

I think this is a terrible analogy and doesn't admit the possibility that the master is able to build both kinds of tables - and that this is why he's the master. In 10 hours he can probably still produce a sturdy, simple table just like he used to. He now has the skill to take the craft to a new level.

[dpiers]

The analogy would be terrible if I claimed to know which carpenter would produce a better table, but I intentionally left that conclusion to the reader.

[noonespecial]

To bring this into the startup world:

The master shrugs and says "It can't be done" and so doesn't even try.

The young carpenter slaps together something ugly with only three legs that barely stands, but since its the only table available, everyone balances their stuff on it anyway.

This seems like a select spot to insert some distinct SQL jokes... but I think I'll just drop it.

[Joeri]

A master would be wise enough not to make assertions on what can or cannot be done.

[dwiel]

The skilled carpenter may make the highest 'quality' table, the young one may make a more interesting or novel one.