Two types of tools: instrumental tools like magic buttons that do the work for you, and engaged tools like violins that help you master the work yourself. When picking tools, ask if you need results or understanding.
Podcast: Linus Lee - Engineering for Aliveness - Jackson Dahl
Every tool falls somewhere on a spectrum.
On one end: instrumental tools. These are magic buttons like ride-sharing apps, and AI agents. They take your goal and deliver results fast, cheap, and easy. You don't care how it works. You just want it done. For instance, when you're rushing somewhere, you use GPS. You don't care about the route. You want to arrive.
The perfect instrumental tool reads your mind and completes the task instantly.
On the other end: engaged tools. Musical instruments. Coding editors. Physical maps for exploration. These tools pull you into the complexity. They help you see clearly and express precisely. Mastery takes time, but that's the point. These tools are distributed cognition.
The choice between these tools isn't about expertise. It's situational. You want GPS when you're late. You want a paper map when you're exploring. Therefore, when picking tools, you should ask yourself:
Do I need results, or do I need understanding?
Pick the wrong tool and you'll either waste time learning when you should be executing, or lose agency when you should be building mastery.