Ask Adam Savage: On Being Clever vs. Good in the Workplace

In this live-stream excerpt, Adam talks about strategies to manage time crunches, plus tools, techniques and relics he acquired during his career in theater. A big thank you to Tested members Mick’s Darwin Life, CJ Lawson, MT and Kerry Shanahan for their questions and support! Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam a question:

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[tested]

A big thank you to Tested members Mick’s Darwin Life, CJ Lawson, MT and Kerry Shanahan for their questions and support! Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam a question:

[athena]

"if you're clever once, you have to be clever again." And at some point, you're going to have to be clever, and you go to pull the clever out, and it's *not* going to be there. Being good might not be spectacular, but it's very, very consistent.

[frogjmon]

Would be cool to see you make the same prop twice, once in the "meet a deadline" construction and once in the "personal standards" construction. I think a side by side comparison could illustrate this concept better than words and would be an interesting exercise!

[soul]

Adams advise of communicating with people you own money to, is a really good one. It can really save you a lot of hassle and a guilty conscience.

It reminds me of some just as useful advise, that took me way into adulthood to realize.
"Don't ever loan away money, that you can't afford to loose". This goes especially for people you care about, like family and dear friends. As you risk loosing them along with the money.

[rogerszmodis]

Did you record this with a mic you blew up for a myth?

[_WillCAD_]

"I thought you would enjoy that!"

And so I did. I'm sitting here cackling just like Adam does, watching that knife flip out from the cuff.

Crazy how something so simple can affect me so greatly.

[harveyconway]

Re: Your credit card anecdote - I've found that the best way to gain credibility and respect is to make the most difficult phone calls ASAP. People notice, and it's always less painful than one fears it will be.

[alisterbh]

Love you man, but dang, I have dropped some coin on Amazon because of you! So many tools I never realized I 'needed'. Thing is, they all just fit that 'niche'. Having the right tool at the right time can just transform your day. I'm not a maker (not that good, just a dude who likes tools and fixing stuff himself), but I really love how sincere and dedicated you are to those folks who are setting off in that field. You're a class act and just keep doing what you do.

[HotShot]

What I thought I would get out of the video: How to be a better worker

What I actually got out of it: Convinced to finally start paying off my debt

[brandonyoung-kemkes]

This advice cannot be heard enough. Thank you. It pertains to so many things in life. Communication is the key to a good relationship.

[Caveboy]

I always multiply my time estimate by 3 because no two jobs are ever the same even if it’s the exact same as last time you can avoid the road blocks from last time but you find others on the second and it still takes as long. You needed x amount of time to get it done that’s the time don’t assume you’ll be faster.

[tomc]

@Adam - You've been wearing a armband for months. (obviously due to tennis elbow). get PT scheduled, cuz that armband helps, but won't cure your issue. I know from this personally.

[Russellsperry]

This is a perfect clever versus good analogy. 👍

[ashakydd]

Always, always, always under promise and over deliver.
1. The client will ALWAYS be happy when you complete sooner than expected and under budget.
2. It will save your ass when things go sideways and you need that buffer of time and budget.

Working small, local theatre will teach you how to squeeze a dollar out of a dime. Reblending discounted miss-tinted paint from the hardware store, repurposing stuff from the recycling bin, and even learning to quickly straighten bent nails and screws. Some of those skills will stick with you forever and be applicable in new and strange ways later.

[OhHeyTrevorFlowers]

Communication with clients is great for another reason: sometimes their deadlines slip! I’ve had many projects start out with a short deadline and then because their schedule slipped the deadline moved later by weeks or months!

[peterkelley]

Fun stage gag. It must have been fun going through the steps of doing it,

[DoctorX]

Haha, I do love that knife trick... Simple, yet effective.

[fredbrooks]

I am sure many of us miss your one day builds. Some of the ones you have already produced I have watched 2 or 3 times. Anything in the works?

[NickByers-ogcx]

In software engineering you never want to be clever, because the next guy who comes after you that reads your code will not be able to maintain it properly

[nativepangea]

I saw a guy that volunteered to clean out houses during construction, his pay was he was allowed to keep any scrap materials on site. He ended up with three storage trailers of all types of materials. He cut about 80 % off his cost to build a two bedroom house.