Reading rank 387
Taste for Makers
, subject: Essay on taste and design, 2002
Paul Graham's essay Taste for Makers ends by defining great work as exacting taste plus the ability to gratify it.
22
Coverage Score
2
Scored evidence
About this work
Published in February 2002, the essay compares recurring principles of good design across software, mathematics, architecture, painting, and writing, ending with a compact recipe for great work: exacting taste plus the ability to satisfy it.
Why read it
Best if you care about the distance between recognizing good work and making work that meets your own standards.
Key themes
- Great work needs two halves
- Taste sets the bar ability must clear
Evidence and original sources
Source: official Founders episode — #277
This record is supported by 3 public evidence rows linked to original Founders episodes.
- Paul Graham's Essays Part 3 — David closes the essay's discussion with its definition of great work as exacting taste plus the ability to gratify it.