Amateurs Obsess Over Tools, Pros Over Mastery
We're living in an era where AI can generate polished designs, code, and writing with a single prompt—but something crucial is being lost. Willem Van Lancker argues that “productive friction”—the struggle of learning through trial, error, and critique—is essential for developing true expertise and taste.
Spending time sharpening the axe is almost always worth it
You’re going to be renaming things, going to type definitions, finding references, etc a lot ; you should be fast at this. You should know all the major shortcuts in your editor. You should be a confident and fast typist. You should know your OS well. You should be proficient in the shell. ... See more
You’re going to be renaming things, going to type definitions, finding references, etc a lot ; you should be fast at this. You should know all the major shortcuts in your editor. You should be a confident and fast typist. You should know your OS well. You should be proficient in the shell. ... See more
Marcus • Marcus' Blog
"It is rarely a mysterious technique that drives us to the top, but rather a profound mastery of what may well be a basic skill set."
—Josh Waitzkin
Mastery of basics, not secret techniques, makes legends.
Look at Roger Gracie's BJJ dominance—leverage and positioning. Jiro Ono'... See more