A giant engine in a factory fails. Concerned, the factory owners call in technicians, who arrive with bulging toolkits. None of them can work out what the problem is. The issue persists.

One day, an old man shows up who’s been fixing engines his whole life. After inspecting it for a minute, he pulls out a hammer and gives the engine a gentle tap. In seconds, it roars back to life.

A week later, the owners receive an invoice for his work: $10,000. Flabbergasted, they write back asking for an itemized bill.

The man replies:
• Tapping with a hammer: $1
• Knowing where to tap: $9,999

There’s an app for that

Everyone has access to tools. But these tools are useless without the right system to support them.

To-do list apps, distraction-free note-taking software, kanban-style project management tools.... Some of these block distracting websites. Some track your data. Some keep track of your time. Some reward you. Some threaten and punish you.

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