Natwerk Designs

DOES executive experience, or GENERAL experience matter?

Forgive the length of this question, but I want to make sure everyone understands the question. I'd also like to know not just WHO you'd hire, but WHY. JUSTIFY you answer, please. Picture this. You're building a 7,500 sq.ft. custom home. It is going to cost you 1/2 a MILLION dollars, and is going to house your entire home. You and your spouse, your children and grandchildren, and has a pair of 2,500 sq.ft. inlaw suites for yours and your spouse's parents. AND, don't forget the family pet. Now, after weeding through the chaff, you have whittled down your choices for a home builder down to two choices. One, is an old guy, who's been in business for 40 years. The other is a relative newcomer, who is young, hip, inspiring, and has a lot of really novel ideas for decorations and a flair for design. The old guy, is surrounded by a staff of loyal supporters who have helped him build fine homes for royalty and dignitaries the world over, is one of the world's most celebrated designers and archetects, and has established one of the world's most highly respected construction companies, utilizing time proven techniques combined with groundbreaking new technologies. While the other guy, though younger, with a definate flare for the dramaitc, with grand,sweeping entrances and can draw a really pretty picture, only has experience in hiring a couple decent crews for assembling some decks, playground equipment, and has organized the construction of a few habitat for humanity houses. Since graduating college with a degree in something or other, with a minor in construction engineering, he's not even built a deck onto his own house with his own tools and knowledge. Yet the old guy, has not only built magnificient homes for decades, he has gone into urban areas and saved condemned buildings, built multi cultural and multi ethnic housing and gathering places, and has worked with a group of fine craftsmen to save buildings that were on the verge of falling, full of people, showing great heroic prowess and the ability to operate under the highest degree of stress imaginable. While it can be said that either man is competent for the job, it can also be said that one has earned the right to do the job, and proven his ability through experience and hands on knowledge of the job at hand. And the other guy, while he may posess the knowledge to do the job, may not, because he is a virtual unknown entity, with questionable knowledge and experience, because he hasn't HAD the experience and hasn't had the opportunities to prove himself in this arena. And while I'd not take away his education or his desire and drive, nor would I just overlook his design ideas out of hand, I WOULD greatly suspect his abilities to actually oversee a project of this magnitude. After all, my ENTIRE extended family is going to reside in this home, and I intend to leave it to my heirs one day. I know which guy I'm going to hire for the job already. Which guy would YOU hire for the job if you had it to do? Because people, you DO have the job to do, and the responsibility to hire the right guy. You had better get it right. You have to live in that house. So tell me....Who are you going to hire? The flashy new guy with a lot of un-proven ideas, or the experienced hero in the field, who while traditional, uses leading edge technology to give the house the best that there is to give. Not to mention, the old guy has recently hired the best interior decorator on the PLANET to complement him, while the young guy, for all of his forward thinking, recently hired an old fashioned decorator who hasn't had an original idea since the 1970's, and decorates in the style of 1970-80's Soviet bloc. Who would you hire for this job???

Public Comments

1. Ideally both matter a lot. Palin has both and Obama has neither.
2. pretty simple answer to yoru question...McCain/Palin!!!!!
3. Yes, and Obama and McCain have about the same.
4. Bla, bla, bla. I would be for the young guy with new ideas. Because he will have a staff of others to help that will make my house strong and stable but will let me live in it in peace . I would not prefer the old guy with his experience staff. Because they will not listen to how I want my house built. They think that they know what I want better than I do. Even though the home may be safe it will never be stable or happy because my children will leave home going to war and not return. My refrig will be empty because I cannot afford to buy food because I have to pay high fuel cost and I am in constant fear that I will lose this home because after it was built. I lost my job.
5. I don't think I would hire either one. But since your question is a hypothetical based on a set of odd assumed facts that have nothing to do with the candidates in the coming election, and it since it is heavily laced with your bias in favor of the more experienced person it doesn't make much sense to ask it here. But since experience is a favorite drum for some people to beat in connection with the coming presidential election; if you are thinking about the coming presidential election, you might want to compare Obama's experience with Abe Lincoln's before Lincoln was elected.
6. Hired an older contractor one time and although he had a great reputation, he no longer did great work. His eyesight wasn't as good, hence the poor finish work. He kept forgetting details and missed a couple of weeks due to illness. His crew was older and slower and he wasn't receptive to my ideas, even arguing with me at times. I fired him and hired a younger contractor. The new contractor suggested changes that were appealing and cost-effective, used more modern tools and construction materials. He had a diversified crew that was energetic, talented and dependable. He brought about the "change" I needed and in the end, I benefited more from his hire. I'd take a chance on the second guy...
7. Well, I would hire the new contractor, because the old one doesn't know anything about the homes he built and may die halfway through the project, leaving the rest of the job to another contractor with even worse ideas and even less experience. Many people are acknowledging that old homes the old contractor builds all the time aren't efficient and the new homes will provide better insulation and foundation so your home will save you money on your energy bill and be the strongest, best fit for modern society. And while contrary to popular belief, the new contractor has made great accomplishments, they just don't happen to be as "flashy" as the other man's accomplishments, such as being captured by a competing construction company during a major war on AC/DC (yes, the contractor is that old). As for the interior designer, I wouldn't be surprised if they spent most of my budget on hairspray and trips for their family paid for by me (even though that is not on the To Do List for my future home's agenda. We're on a tight schedule you know, what with the cost of building this home in the current economy. Funny the old guy's mentor has been handing me the bill.) Also, I'm not quite into conservative architecture, too gaudy and ridiculous. I'm more mid century modern, I'm digging the designer with a retro flair!