The most useful tool sometimes refuses to answer
Building someone's judgment beats renting them yours. A trainer that won't give answers taught me that.
I built a training simulator that coaches government acquisition staff through real procurement decisions. The first instinct — the obvious one — was to make it answer well. Ask it anything, get the right call back, fast.
It’s better when it refuses.
The version that actually helps people walks them toward the decision and makes them reason their way to it, instead of handing it over. Because the goal isn’t a correct answer this once — it’s a person who can make the correct call next time, when the tool isn’t there.
That’s a strange thing to design against: every product instinct says reduce friction, give the answer faster. But there’s a category of tools where the friction is the value. You’re not renting someone your judgment; you’re building theirs.
Still chewing on where the line is — when withholding is generous, and when it’s just annoying.