Business & strategy laws · law 013
Law of the Instrument (Maslow's Hammer)
Also known as: Maslow's hammer · If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail
By Shivam Bhandari · Reviewed 31 October 2026 · How we write
what it means
People over-rely on the tool or skill they know best — if all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
How Law of the Instrument works
Marketers see every problem as a marketing problem, engineers as a tech problem, finance people as a cost problem. Expertise narrows the solutions we even consider.
Good decision-makers deliberately borrow other lenses — or other people — before committing to a fix.
where it comes from
Philosopher Abraham Kaplan described it in 1964; psychologist Abraham Maslow gave it the famous hammer wording in 1966.
Law of the Instrument examples in business
Agency bias
A performance-marketing agency recommends more ad spend for a brand whose real issue is poor repeat purchase.
Tech solutions
A founder builds an app to fix a problem that a WhatsApp group and a spreadsheet would solve.
Discounting
A sales team that only knows discounts uses them for every objection, even when the real concern is delivery time.
How to apply it
- 1Describe the problem without naming a solution.
- 2Ask people from two other functions how they would solve it.
- 3List at least three different types of solution before choosing.
- 4Notice which tool you reach for by default — and question it.
common misreading
Deep expertise is valuable; the law warns against applying it where it does not fit.
ask yourself
What is your default fix for every problem, and when was it last the wrong one?
put it into practice
Frequently asked questions
What is Law of the Instrument?
People over-rely on the tool or skill they know best — if all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Marketers see every problem as a marketing problem, engineers as a tech problem, finance people as a cost problem. Expertise narrows the solutions we even consider.
Who came up with Law of the Instrument?
Philosopher Abraham Kaplan described it in 1964; psychologist Abraham Maslow gave it the famous hammer wording in 1966.
How do you apply Law of the Instrument in business?
1. Describe the problem without naming a solution. 2. Ask people from two other functions how they would solve it. 3. List at least three different types of solution before choosing. 4. Notice which tool you reach for by default — and question it.
What is a common misunderstanding of Law of the Instrument?
Deep expertise is valuable; the law warns against applying it where it does not fit.