Your Tools Don’t Define You. But…

There’s always a ‘but’.

Jason Ogle I really agree with you about this . I think that your main point here is super important.

Yet, there’s an issue in this industry that I would like to address and it’s not talked about so much in regards to this discussion of tools.

It’s the fact that there are so many people out there that are REALLY ef’n GOOD at what they do, but refuse to work with top notch tools.

These people usually have one of two problems with their attitude:

1. They are cheap: They see new well worthy tools, and the time it takes to learn them as an expense, rather than thinking business & for the long run and seeing tools and their learning time as an investment.
2. They are afraid: Too many people are afraid of change. Afraid of getting out of their comfort zone. Afraid of failing.
   Yes, you can buy and try new tools and find out they are less good, but at least you tried.

What’s the problem with sticking to the good ol’ tools?

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New tools are coming out at a faster pace then ever. This is a great thing, and now we need to develop new skills to know WHEN to try out new tools in our professional workflow. What tools to get excited about and purchase, and what tools to just close that browser tab on, and never see again.

If you (you = anybody reading this) is sticking to this claim of ‘the tools don’t matter’ as a professional in any field, you have a couple of problems:

1. You are NOT reaching your 100% super powers! Therefore…
2. You are WAY LESS efficient as a professional. Therefore…
3. You are wasting anybody you sell something to’s time. You’re doing THEM disservice, because you could have served them better. You could have provided better deliverables. You could have delivered faster.

For instance, If you’re a designer that works on UI design, but still uses photoshop, you’ve been left behind. Other organizations are smoking you on speed and time to market by cutting down their R&D time significantly with Sketch and the tools that come with it.

Lastly, you are wasting far more energy resisting new technologies and working in your old ways, than the energy you would spend to embrace change and new technology that boosts your work productivity, pleasure, and final deliverables.

So, if you know of some new tool out there that will help you get your job done better and sell more, and you consider yourself to be a professional -GET IT.

See it as an investment, not as an expense.

Good investments pay off.