Proximate Vs Ultimate Explanations
First understand the why, then figure out the how.
Biologists distinguish between proximate and ultimate explanations.
Proximate explanations are concerned with how a behavior works, ultimate explanations with why it exists.
Take fever, for example. The proximate explanation describes the biological mechanisms that raise body temperature when an infection is detected. The ultimate explanation describes the selective advantage of killing infections with fever and its evolutionary history.
To fully understand a biological process, we need both proximate and ultimate explanations.
The same is true in knowledge work, except that ultimate explanations are far more valuable.
A good software engineer knows how to implement a new feature. A great software engineer asks why a new feature should be implemented and will push back if there’s no benefit for the users.
Software and the internet give us virtually infinite leverage. But our time and energy are still finite. As Naval put it, in an age of nearly infinite leverage, judgement is the decisive skill.
I came across the concept in this fascinating conversation between David Deutsch and Gad Saad, which I highly recommend.