Can do Quote by John Maeda
“Things that I can do myself, I either do by myself, or teach a willing undergraduate who doesn't know how to do those things by doing it for me. Things that I can't do myself, my graduate students should be doing.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Talk at Design Conference, 2015
Delegating tasks based on expertise, doing what you can, teaching others, and assigning complex work to graduate students.
In simple terms: Delegate what you can, teach others, assign complex tasks to advanced learners.
Key Takeaway
Leverage expertise at each level.
Themes
delegation
education
expertise
mentorship
efficiency
Mood
pragmatic
reflective
Type
advice
instructional
When to use this quote
- academic labs
- research projects
- software development teams
- startup mentorship
Key Concepts
task allocation
skill development
collaboration
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance teaching with over‑reliance on delegation?
- What tasks could you still do yourself for growth?
A Different Perspective
May overlook the value of hands‑on experience for students.
