Ask HN: Is Hackers and Painters still relevant today?

3 days ago 1

I want to get to know the community's thoughts on H&P in the AI world that we live in now.

And also -

There’s also one aspect I’m not sure Paul Graham touched on directly: the relationship between hackers and the job market.

From my (limited) understanding of Hackers & Painters, a "hacker" is someone who uses existing tools to build something fun or useful. They’re not necessarily domain experts — they’re just 'really good' at building things.

I am having a hard time comprehending that idea from an employment perspective. When I look at the job market today, even roles labeled as “generalist” seem to demand a specific kind of expertise. Day-to-day responsibilities often require deep specialization, which doesn’t always align with the hacker mindset.

So I’m wondering — is the concept of the hacker still relevant in today’s employment landscape?

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