Quit Hacking, Instead Build Up Mental Models

Hacking is put on a pedestal in modern society. Where a large chunk of life happens online, 'hackers' are heros. But the concept of a 'hacker' has transformed over time from a character in the style of Mr. Robot to an everyday entrepreneur.

From Computer hackers to Growth Hackers, House Hackers, Creativity Hackers. Hustlers and Grinders. Moonlighters. A common philosphy among these groups is akin to the old Han Solo way of doing things. A lot of simple tricks and nonsense give you the edge and help you achieve your goals quicker regardless of your field.

I used to subscribe heavily to this camp, but recently I have been thinking that 'hacking it' is a shortsighted and weak approach to knowledge-based work.

A Tree Analogy

Think about hacking in terms of its etymological roots - as in hacking at a tree with an axe. Seemingly strong, but misguided strikes break off chunks of the tree at a time, eventually, albiet with a lot of effort, felling the tree entirely.

Is there a better way to fell the tree.

Instead of hacking at everything, I think we, as a creative society need to put more of our focus on building proper mental models. Instead of hacks, tricks and fancy techniques, I think we should seek out and employ deep understanding. Finding the correct mental models gives us an elegant and precise approach to felling the tree - picture this approach as a finely sharpened, many-toothed saw that breezes through the tree with ease. Less work overall for the lumberjack.

Mental models - a foundational understanding of a given topic - takes much more effort to establish at first. The payout isn't immediate, like the payout of a 'hack' might be. The long term effects however, of investing in the correctness of our foundational mental models, is that we will be able to build much better, much stronger, at a much faster rate.

Sometimes, you move ahead fastest when you move slowly.

Mental Models are a Long Term Investment

When we choose to invest in one approach or the other - slow, methodical, precise mental models versus quick, inexpensive hacks that get the job done quickly, we are making a classic business choice - invest in the long term and reap greater rewards at an initially slower rate (think exponential growth - its slow, its slow, its slow then one day its massive and growing quicker than you thought possible) or take the shortcut and get the job done today at the expense of long term outlook.

Sometimes, hacks are necessary. its true. but whenever I can afford it, and sometimes even when I don't think i can, I stop and evaluate the benefit of true understanding of a topic in front of me. The more I invest in foundational knowlege, the more often I see the benefit in every area of expertise in which I am trying to grow.