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Comment on Ask HN: Does “Effort Deflation” Demotivate? Why Not Wait for Ever Easier Tech?parent

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But if you anticipate that GPT-5 will have X capabilities that will negate the need for you to learn Y intermediate tools, so you can instead focus on Z, you will have avoided wasting effort that could be better spent elsewhere.

Like, if I know we’re in a deflationary economic environment, I’m better off sitting on my cash and waiting for prices to drop before making a purchase, unless the benefit of owning that item outweighs the cost of not waiting.

I think I now do similar cost/benefit calculations regarding technology.

But if you anticipate that GPT-5 will have X capabilities that will negate the need for you to learn Y intermediate tools, so you can instead focus on Z, you will have avoided wasting effort that could be better spent elsewhere.

That's the gamble you play. It's pretty rare for a technology to have absolutely 0 transferable skills to the next one.

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