And also -
There’s also one aspect I’m not sure Paul Graham touched on directly: the relationship between hackers and the job market.
From my (limited) understanding of Hackers & Painters, a "hacker" is someone who uses existing tools to build something fun or useful. They’re not necessarily domain experts — they’re just 'really good' at building things.
I am having a hard time comprehending that idea from an employment perspective. When I look at the job market today, even roles labeled as “generalist” seem to demand a specific kind of expertise. Day-to-day responsibilities often require deep specialization, which doesn’t always align with the hacker mindset.
So I’m wondering — is the concept of the hacker still relevant in today’s employment landscape?
ferguess_k•8mo ago
Def 1 - Someone who has a "hacker" mindset, tinkers with stuffs, but not necessarily good at anything. He is a generalist that knows a lot of stuffs but never drills deep into anything. He switches interests quickly and is generally OK with his job.
Def 2 - Someone who is John Carmack level, very good at something, top notch. He can focus on something for decades and improve relentlessly.
If you are of Def 1, you should be worried, because AI and whatever might be able to replace a large part of your responsibility in the next decade. If you are of Def 2, you are fine.
Of course maybe only 0.1% of all programmers are of Def 2.