Over the last year, I have seen a lot of people holding a strong stance on how a specific tool could do everything they wanted. Some others were complaining that the tool they were using could not do everything.

Beware of Maslow's Hammer

I don't believe in the existence of such a "Golden Hammer". When your tool has a shortcoming you should consider some complements.

When we are being adamant about the tool we want to use regardless of the problem we risk formulating problems in a way that makes the available tool the right tool, even if it isn't. This is dangerous because we might end up solving a problem slightly different from the original one. Or even worse, we might create new problems along the way.

If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. — Bernard M. Baruch

Let us be clear, I am not advocating for a constant change of tools. Periodic reviews and a bit of research should slowly bring you closer to the choice that fits you and helps you the most. We don't have time to try everything unless our ultimate goal is to try everything.

Build a Toolbox

What you want is a toolbox of tools that you are familiar with and when a problem arises you pick the one that is the most adequate.

Over time see how you can use a selection of tools to solve a variety of problems. To build your own toolbox you can either

• try to look for the best overall combination

• you can choose what you already like using and complement it with other tools that address its shortcomings.