Yann LeCun has recently made notable remarks about the boundary between scientific research and engineering development, emphasizing that each role has a completely different definition of 'success'.
Developments
According to LeCun, a good engineer focuses on finding a 'good enough' solution so that the product can be shipped and deliver value to users. Meanwhile, a true scientist will always ask new questions and compare various solutions to uncover fundamental knowledge.
Context
In the AI era, the line between 'product development' and 'research' is becoming increasingly blurred. Many big tech companies are trying to turn scientists into product engineers and vice versa, leading to conflicts in work culture and long-term goals.
Why It Matters
LeCun's lesson is highly valuable for Vietnamese tech leaders when building R&D teams. Understanding the strengths of each group helps businesses allocate resources to the right places: engineers to optimize and bring products to market, and scientists to seek game-changing breakthroughs that could define the next 5 to 10 years.