Idea
Choosing tools without falling in love with them
How we try to stay led by the problem rather than by whatever technology happens to be exciting this year.
Tools arrive with stories
Every technology comes with a story about what it will change. Those stories can help us imagine possibilities, but they can also make every problem look like an excuse to use the same tool.
We try to delay that choice. First we define the outcome, constraints, and people involved. Then we compare technologies based on how well they serve that reality.
Boring can be exceptional
The right solution may use a new model, a familiar database, a paper checklist, or all three. Novelty is not the objective. A solution should be understandable, maintainable, and proportionate to the problem.
Technology matters enormously. That is precisely why it should be chosen carefully rather than worshipped.