Underestimating the Obvious

Once something is obvious and working, people tend to underestimate it. (source)

I experienced this first-hand in my very first software role. I was using AppleScript to automate redundant tasks. If the task was chosen wisely it only required a few hours of hacking on a simple script. A two-hour job transformed into a two-second automation.

I once met a professional AppleScripter who worked with pre-press workflows in printing. He automated a manual data aggregation task. Before, it required two weeks of labor. After, he transformed it into a two-minute automation. Those who knew the two weeks of manual drudgery hailed him as a hero. But new employees only experienced the two-minute delay of the script. To them the computer felt slow. They complained about the wait.

Once something is obvious and working, people tend to underestimate it.