--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can’t understand the spec for a…" description: "\"“If you can’t understand the spec for a new technology, don’t worry: nobody else will understand it either, and the technology won’t be that important...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/joel-spolsky-15347_ifs_if-you-can-t-understand-the-spec-for-a-n_302556.jpg" --- # If you can’t understand the spec for a new technology… ![“If you can’t understand the spec for a new technology, don’t worry: nobody else will understand it either, and the technology won’t be that important.” quote by Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/joel-spolsky-15347_ifs_if-you-can-t-understand-the-spec-for-a-n_302556.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/joel-spolsky-15347_ifs_if-you-can-t-understand-the-spec-for-a-n_302556.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b91/joel-spolsky-15347_ifs_if-you-can-t-understand-the-spec-for-a-n_302556.jpg) > ““If you can’t understand the spec for a new technology, don’t worry: nobody else will understand it either, and the technology won’t be that important.”” [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tech complexity often exceeds common comprehension, making some innovations marginal. **In simple terms:** Hard to grasp tech may be unimportant. Key Takeaway Focus on understandable, impactful tech. Themes technology communication innovation Mood cautious pragmatic Type advice observation When to use this quote - product development - team meetings - tech scouting - investment decisions Key Concepts complexity adoption market relevance Questions to Reflect On - Is the technology truly essential? - How can we simplify complex specs? A Different Perspective If a spec is opaque, it may still be valuable if others can decode it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [New technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-technology/) [Specs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/specs/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Don't worry about what you do not understand... Worry about what you do understand in the Bible, but do not live by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/don-t-worry-about-what-you-do-not-understand-worry-about-what-you-do/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [None of you need worry because you read something that was incompletely reported. You need not worry that I do not understand some matters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/none-of-you-need-worry-because-you-read-something-that-was/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do not understand others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/do-not-worry-if-others-do-not-understand-you-instead-worry-if-you-do/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Do not worry if others do not understand you, worry only if you can not understand yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-worry-if-others-do-not-understand-you-worry-only-if-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have learned so far that if you happen to find someone just as weird as you...well there is nothing to worry about. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-b/i-have-learned-so-far-that-if-you-happen-to-find-someone-just-as/) [Becca B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-b/) > [There are dangers, but only dangers if people don't understand where technology is taking us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/there-are-dangers-but-only-dangers-if-people-don-t-understand-where/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [I don't understand technology, and I'm very scared of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/i-don-t-understand-technology-and-i-m-very-scared-of-it/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [If you think technology can solve your security problems, then you don't understand the problems and you don't understand the technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/if-you-think-technology-can-solve-your-security-problems-then-you-don/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [We are led by lawyers who do not understand either technology or balance sheets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/we-are-led-by-lawyers-who-do-not-understand-either-technology-or/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [There are a lot of designers who think they understand technology and a lot of technology guys who think they understand design. 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I know how to understand a technology problem, break it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shai-agassi/my-passions-were-an-intersection-between-peace-in-the-middle-east-and/) [Shai Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shai-agassi/) > [People really don't understand the technology they're using. It's been talked about a lot. Apple products in particular are designed in such a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-jane-anders/people-really-don-t-understand-the-technology-they-re-using-it-s-been/) [Charlie Jane Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-jane-anders/) > [People need to understand that the technology is for them. It's not to them. It's not over them. People still sometimes want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-dyson/people-need-to-understand-that-the-technology-is-for-them-it-s-not-to/) [Esther Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-dyson/) ## More by Joel Spolsky > [If your goals is to produce something of permanent value, you start to think differently about you want on the site.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/if-your-goals-is-to-produce-something-of-permanent-value-you-start-to/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [Every day that we spent not improving our products was a wasted day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/every-day-that-we-spent-not-improving-our-products-was-a-wasted-day/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [Good software, like wine, takes time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/good-software-like-wine-takes-time/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [Remember, just because Microsoft can do something, doesn't mean you can. Microsoft makes their own gravity. Normal rules don't apply to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/remember-just-because-microsoft-can-do-something-doesn-t-mean-you-can/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [So if you want to get things done, you positively have to understand at any given point in time what is the most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/so-if-you-want-to-get-things-done-you-positively-have-to-understand/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [Not having a schedule is OK if it's your PhD and you plan to spend 14 years on the thing, or if you're a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/not-having-a-schedule-is-ok-if-it-s-your-phd-and-you-plan-to-spend-14/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [If you are a programmer working in 2006 and you don’t know the basics of characters, character sets, encodings, and Unicode, and I catch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/if-you-are-a-programmer-working-in-2006-and-you-don-t-know-the-basics/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [“In any case, even if a usability test resolves a dispute, it doesn't do it in any kind of a statistically valid way. 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They are a great way to bring everyone up to a dismal, but passable, level of performance, but at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/beware-of-methodologies-they-are-a-great-way-to-bring-everyone-up-to/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [Never put yourself in a position that will put yourself at risk if you make the wrong decision. We spent cash on everything. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/never-put-yourself-in-a-position-that-will-put-yourself-at-risk-if/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [Writing code is not production, it's not always craftsmanship though it can be, it's design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/writing-code-is-not-production-it-s-not-always-craftsmanship-though/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [There's a subtle reason that programmers always want to throw away the code and start over. The reason is that they think the old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/there-s-a-subtle-reason-that-programmers-always-want-to-throw-away/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) > [Design adds value faster than it adds cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-spolsky/design-adds-value-faster-than-it-adds-cost/) [Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) [Explore all 43 Joel Spolsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-spolsky/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. 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The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. 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