The Bitter Lesson isn't just about search: learning trades adaptability for reliability
willcb · x · 2026-09-21
willcb pushes back on a common misreading of The Bitter Lesson, arguing search is only half of it — learning is the other half, and its compression component (e.g. grokking) is fundamentally about trading adaptability for reliability and efficiency. He extends this to why even the largest companies need scheduled meetings and structured processes: structure and adaptability involve a real trade-off.
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